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JOHN  SKALLY  TERRY 
MEMORIAL  COLLECTION 


ESTABLISHED  BY 

THE  FAMILY  IN  HONOR  OF 

JOHN  S.  TERRY 

CLASS  OF  1918 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINA  LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022093477 


o 


&7  *  y 


DATE  DUE 

— JOTT 

CAVLORD 

PRINTED  IN  O.l   A. 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/khakiboysatfrontOObate 


SAMMY  MACHINE  GUNS  AND  RIFLES  MOWED  THEM  DOWN. 
The  Khaki  Boys  at  the  Front.  Page  12/ 


The  Khaki  Boys 
At  The  Front 

or 
Shoulder  to  Shoulder  in  the  Trenches 


By 

Capt.  GORDON  BATES 

Author  of  "The  Khaki  Boys  at  Camp  Sterling'1 
"The  Khaki  Boys  on  the  Way,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 

CUPPLES  &  LEON  COMPANY 


THE  KHAKI  BOYS  SERIES 

By   CAPT.    GORDON    BATES 

l2mo.     Cloth.     Frontispiece 
Price  per  Volume,  50  Cents 


THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  CAMP  STERLING 
or  Training  for  the  Big  Fight  in  France 

THE  KHAKI  BOYS  ON  THE  WAY 

or  Doing  Their  Bit  on  Sea  and  Land 

THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

or  ShouldeT  to  Shoulder  in  the  Trenches 

Other  Volumes  in  Preparation 
CUPPLES  &  LEON  COMPANY,  New  York 


Copyright,  191 8,  by 
Cupples  &  Leon  Company 


The  Khaki  Boys  at  the  Front 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  A  Joyful  Reunion 1 

II  Meeting  Cousin  Emile 10 

III  Trailed   20 

IV  An  Unseen  Foe 27 

V  A  Wild  Goose  Chase 32 

VI  The  Unforeseen 38 

VII  ''At   Home" 45 

VIII  A  Boche  Testimonial 51 

IX  On  the  March 59 

X  The  Last  Lap 68 

XI  In  the  Fire  Trench 75 

XII  Getting  Used  to  It 85 

XIII  Under  Fire 94 

XIV  Detailed  to  Scouting  Duty 104 

XV  Out  in  No  Man  's  Land 114 

XVI  Forewarned  Is  Forearmed 122 


2  H8 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVII  Missing  :  a  Brother 128 

XVIII  "It's  a  Great  Life' ' 139 

XIX  Out  of  the  Air 144 

XX  The  Keturn  of  Cousin  E mile 155 

XXI  Up  Above  the  Clouds 167 

XXII  The  Unspeakable  Crime 178 

XXIII  Loyal  Unto  Death 188 

XXIV  Waiting  for  Zero  Hour 197 


THE  KHAKI  BOYS 
AT  THE  FRONT 


CHAPTER  I 

A   JOYFUL   REUNION 

44  T  SUPPOSE  we  might  as  well  be  hiking 
along, ' '  announced  Roger  Barlow  re- 
■*■  gretfully,  as  he  consulted  his  watch. 
"We've  lots  of  time  yet,  but  we'd  better  be 
early  than  late  back  to  camp.  We  are  strangers 
in  a  strange  land  and  we  've  quite  a  long  way  to 
go." 

"I'm  satisfied  to  go.  I  came  up  here  to  see 
Paris  and  I  've  seen  it.  That  is,  a  scrap  of  it.  I 
guess  it  would  take  a  long  while  to  get  really 
wise  to  it.  I  sure  would  like  to  use  up  a  little 
time  poking  around  la  belle  Paree.  My,  but  this 
hash  house  is  a  dead  place,  though!  Nobody 
alive  here  but  us. ' ' 

Bob  Dalton  glanced  disapprovingly  about  the 
unassuming  little  cafe  in  which  he  and  his  four 


2         THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Brothers  had  elected  to  dine.  Its  hushed  at- 
mosphere oppressed  him. 

''Oh,  Paris  is  altogether  different  from  what 
it  used  to  be,"  informed  Sergeant  Jimmy 
Blaise.  "It's  lost  a  lot  of  pep  since  this  war 
began.    Can  you  wonder  ? ' ' 

''It's  lost  more  than  pep,"  cut  in  Franz 
Schnitzel.  "It's  lost  a  whole  lot  of  its  best  citi- 
zens. Almost  every  woman  one  sees  is  dressed 
in  black.    That  tells  its  own  story." 

"So  think  I  no  many  Franche  solder  more," 
sighed  Ignace  Pulinski.    "Mos'  is  died." 

' '  Oh,  there  are  probably  a  dozen  or  two  left, ' ' 
was  Bob's  cheering  reassurance.  "I  guess  they 
need  the  Khaki  Boys  over  here  all  right  enough, 
though. ' ' 

' '  I  wish  we  'd  get  orders  to  move  on, ' '  grum- 
bled Jimmy.  "I'm  dying  to  take  a  ride  in  one 
of  those  'Eight  Horses'  affairs — not." 

"We've  been  in  training  here  longer  than  I 
expected."  This  from  Roger.  "I  guess  we 
needed  it.  When  the  war  began,  before  the 
TJ.  S.  got  into  it,  they  used  to  rush  the  Tommies 
to  the  front  pretty  fast.  They  got  about  ten 
days '  or  two  weeks '  training  and  that  was  all. ' ' 

"The  war  game's  been  systematized  a  lot 
since  then,"  commented  Bob.  "We  have  fared 
better  than  those  fellows  did.  They  had  to  put 
up  with  most  any  old  thing.  So  far  we've  led 
a  peaceful,  happy  life  over  here. ' ' 

Several  weeks  had  passed  since  those  of  the 


A  JOYFUL  REUNION 


Khaki  Boys  who  had  come  safely  through  the 
disastrous  sinking  of  the  Columbia  had  been 
landed  "somewhere  in  France." 

Readers  who  have  followed  the  fortunes  of 
the  quintette  of  Khaki  Boys,  known  among 
themselves  as  the  five  Brothers,  will  at  once  re- 
member them  as  old  friends.  What  happened 
to  these  young  soldiers  during  the  period  in 
which  they  were  in  training  at  an  American  can- 
tonment has  already  been  set  down  in  "The 
Khaki  Boys  at  Camp  Sterling.  ' ' 

It  was  while  on  the  way  to  Camp  Sterling  that 
Jimmy  Blaise,  Roger  Barlow,  Bob  Dalton  and 
Ignace  Pulinski  met  and  instantly  became 
friendly.  From  being  merely  friendly  they  soon 
grew  to  be  bunkies,  loyal  to  one  another  through 
thick  and  thin. 

Later  they  took  into  their  little  circle  a  young 
German-American,  Franz  Schnitzel,  who  had 
had  the  misfortune  to  be  entirely  misunderstood 
by  his  comrades.  Suspected  of  being  in  sym- 
pathy with  Germany,  Schnitzel  was  accused  of 
poisoning  a  number  of  men  in  his  own  bar- 
racks. 

Due  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  four  Broth- 
ers, his  innocence  was  proven,  and  his  good 
name  restored.  Afterward  Schnitzel  himself 
was  responsible  for  bringing  the  real  poi- 
soner, a  German  spy,  Johann  Freidrich,  to 
justice. 

Their  fortunes  firmly  linked  to  Schnitzel's  by 


4    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

trouble,  he  had  become  a  real  brother  to  the  four 
Khaki  Boys,  who  decided  that  thereafter  they 
would  call  themselves  the  five  Brothers. 

After  an  exhaustive  course  of  training  at 
Camp  Sterling,  the  five  Brothers  had  been  sent 
with  a  large  detachment  of  their  comrades  to 
Camp  Marvin,  a  southern  cantonment.  While 
at  this  camp  they  met  with  at  least  one  exciting 
adventure,  which  was  the  forerunner  of  a  series 
of  amazing  events. 

In  "The  Khaki  Boys  on  the  Way"  will  be 
found  the  details  of  that  adventure,  which  had 
to  do  with  an  attempt  made  by  an  unknown  man 
to  blow  up  a  bridge  near  the  camp.  Readers  of 
this  story  will  recall  Jimmy  Blaise 's  fight  with 
the  miscreant  under  the  bridge,  and  his  narrow 
escape  from  death. 

This  narrative  also  contains  a  full  account  of 
the  Khaki  Boys'  journey  to  the  seacoast,  where 
they  boarded  a  transport  for  France,  and  of 
the  hazardous  voyage  over,  which  ended  in  the 
torpedoing,  by  a  U-boat,  of  their  transport  the 
Columbia. 

Though  many  of  their  comrades  perished  at 
sea,  the  five  Brothers  were  spared.  Briefly  sep- 
arated by  the  catastrophe,  they  were  re-united 
in  Ireland.  From  there  they  had  gone  on  to  a 
rest  camp  in  England,  from  which,  re-uniformed 
and  re-equipped,  they  had  at  last  set  sail  across 
the  channel  for  France. 

Landed  in  France,  they  had  gone  directly  to 


A  JOYFUL  REUNION 


a  training  camp,  there  to  receive  the  final  neces- 
sary instruction  which  would  fully  prepare  them 
for  the  strenuous  life  of  the  trenches. 

Since  arriving  in  the  French  town  where  a. 
concentration  camp  had  been  established,  they 
had  been  kept  constantly  busy  learning  new 
things  about  trench  warfare. 

At  Camp  Sterling  and  Camp  Marvin  they  had 
undergone  considerable  instruction  along  this 
line.  Compared  to  the  experience  they  were 
daily  gaining,  their  past  training  seemed  a  trifle 
rudimentary  to  the  Khaki  Boys. 

Under  the  competent  direction  of  French  of- 
ficers who  had  seen  service  at  the  front,  the 
Khaki  Boys  were  rapidly  acquiring  fresh  knowl- 
edge concerning  bomb-throwing,  reconnoitering, 
listening  posts,  methods  in  attack  and  defense, 
wiring  parties,  mass  formation,  and  the  proper 
procedure  for  poison  gas  attacks. 

They  had  learned  to  construct  and  repair 
barbed  wire  entanglements.  They  had  now  be- 
come familiar  with  the  intricate  inner  construc- 
tion of  the  trenches.  They  knew  how  best  to 
shelter  themselves  when  in  these  trenches. 
They  had  learned  trench  cooking  and  sanita- 
tion, and  were  now  beginning  to  feel  that  they 
were  really  ready  to  live  at  the  front. 

Their  camp  being  situated  in  a  village  not 
many  miles  from  Paris,  the  five  Brothers  had 
been  most  eager  to  spend  a  few  hours  in  the 
beautiful  city.     Although  they  had  seen  much 


6    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

to  interest  them  since  coming  to  France,  their 
minds  were  set  on  seeing  Paris. 

For  one  reason  or  another,  however,  they  had 
put  off  the  trip  until  Roger  had  declared  that 
if  they  didn't  "make  a  break"  at  seeing  Paris 
soon,  they  were  not  likely  to  see  it  until  the  end 
of  the  war,  if  ever. 

The  upshot  of  the  matter  was  a  concerted  re- 
quest for  passes  on  the  part  of  the  five  Sam- 
mies. Mid-afternoon  of  a  cold,  though  glor- 
iously sunshiny  day,  saw  them  invading  the 
city  they  had  so  earnestly  wished  to  visit. 
Strangers  in  a  strange  land,  they  had,  neverthe- 
less, hugely  enjoyed  poking  about  the  French 
metropolis,  constantly  drawing  comparisons  be- 
tween it  and  their  own  "big  town"  in  Amer- 
ica. 

Long  familiar  with  the  French  language,  it 
fell  to  Jimmy  to  do  most  of  the  talking.  For 
once  Bob  did  not  take  the  lead  in  this  respect. 
Both  he  and  Roger  were  able  to  carry  on  a  halt- 
ing conversation  in  French  and  that  was  about 
all.  Schnitzel  knew  even  less  of  it  than  they, 
while  Ignace  had  added  but  little  to  the  "six 
word  by  Franche,"  of  which  he  had  earlier  ad- 
mitted as  being  his  entire  French  vocabulary. 

Content  to  follow  their  own  bent,  the  five 
bunkies  had  asked  few  questions  of  the  friendly 
passersby,  who  invariably  beamed  on  them  in 
passing.  The  Sammies  were  at  any  time  a  very 
welcome  sight  to  the  French  people,  but  the  five 


A  JOYFUL  REUNION 


Brothers  were  an  especially  striking  example 
of  stalwart  young  American  manhood,  and  at- 
tracted an  amount  of  attention  of  which  they 
were  quite  unaware. 

Toward  six  o'clock  steadily  growing  hunger 
had  prompted  them  to  drop  into  one  of  the 
many  excellent  restaurants  of  which  Paris 
boasts.  Having  ordered  a  most  delectable  din- 
ner, they  had  taken  their  time  about  eating  it. 
In  consequence,  it  was  now  after  seven  o'clock 
and,  as  Roger  had  reminded,  "time  for  us  to  be 
hiking  along. ' ' 

"There's  always  a  calm  before  a  storm,  you 
know. ' ' 

It  was  Jimmy  who  spoke.  The  remark  fol- 
lowed Bob's  assertion  regarding  the  peaceful- 
ness  of  the  life  they  had  been  leading  since  their 
arrival  in  France. 

"Yes,  it's  the  last  lull  before  we  get  into  the 
real  thing,"  nodded  Roger.  "We'll  soon  be 
getting  up  in  the  morning  and  turning  in  at 
night  to  the  music  of  the  big  guns." 

"I  hope  it'll  be  Allied  artillery  that'll  make 
the  most  of  that  music, ' '  put  in  Schnitzel. 

"Yes,  and  /  hope  a  Fritzie  trench  gets  it  in 
the  neck  with  every  blamed  tune  our  fellows 
hammer  out,"  was  Bob's  vengeful  rejoinder. 
"What  I've  heard  since  I  came  over  here  about 
the  way  those  Boche  brutes  have  treated  the 
Belgians  makes  me  hot  under  the  collar." 

"They  say  the  Fritzies  have  it  in  for  us  Sam- 


8    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

mies,"  shrugged  Roger.  "They're  crazy  to 
take  us  prisoners.  They  want  to  make  an  ex- 
ample of  us.  Think  they  '11  scare  the  U.  S.  into 
putting  up  a  big  yell  for  peace.  Wonder  what 
they'll  do  if  they  do  manage  to  grab  any  of  our 
men?" 

"Hard  to  tell.  Crucify  some  poor  fellow, 
maybe."  Bob's  dark  brows  drew  sharply  to- 
gether. "That's  one  of  their  pleasant  little 
methods  of  getting  even."  Bob's  tones  quiv- 
ered with  loathing.  "If  it  ever  came  to  that 
with  me,  I'd  die  game.  I'd  never  let  'em  think 
they'd  got  my  goat." 

"Oh,  can  the  croak!"  exclaimed  Jimmy  im- 
patiently. "We  came  out  to  enjoy  ourselves. 
What's  the  use  in  dragging  up  the  horror 
stuff?" 

"So  think  I,"  agreed  Ignace,  who  had  been 
listening  round-eyed  to  Bob's  dire  surmising. 
"We  ver'  smart,  so  then  we  don'  be  it  that 
prisonar.    I  no  like. ' ' 

"You  don't?  I'm  surprised,"  bantered  Bob. 
"I  thought  you  were  just  aching  to  be  run  in  by 
a  Boche  patrol." 

' '  Now  you  mak '  the  f on  to  me, ' '  snickered  Ig- 
nace. "Only  you  wait.  Som'  day  I  mak'  the 
fon  to  you." 

"  Go  as  far  as  you  like, ' '  challenged  Bob,  grin- 
ning benevolently  at  his  Polish  Brother. 

1  i  Come  on, ' '  urged  Jimmy.  ' '  Let 's  settle  with 
the  garcon,  and  beat  it.    Where  did  he  go  to, 


A  JOYFUL  REUNION  9 

anyhow?  He  was  standing  right  over  there  a 
minute  ago." 

Five  pairs  of  eyes  immediately  busied  them- 
selves in  an  effort  to  locate  the  waiter. 

"He's  in  the  kitchen,  I  guess.  Don't  see  him. 
He'll  show  up  in  a  minute." 

Leaning  back  in  his  chair,  Eoger  continued 
idly  to  survey  the  few  diners  scattered  about 
the  cafe.  His  eyes  rested  amusedly  upon  a  pair 
of  elderly  Frenchmen,  who  appeared  to  be  con- 
ducting a  vigorous  argument.  Their  wagging 
heads,  shrugging  shoulders,  and  the  almost  con- 
tinual play  of  their  hands  entertained  him  im- 
mensely. 

"Look  at  those  two  old  grandpas  over  there 
near  the  door,"  he  said  to  Bob,  who  was  seated 
beside  him.  "  I  '11  bet  you  most  anything  they  're 
arguing  about  the  war.  They're  not  a  bit  huffy 
with  each  other;  just  dead  in  earnest." 

Bob's  gaze  obediently  traveled  toward  the 
two  ancients.  It  interrupted  itself  on  the  way, 
however,  to  take  stock  of  three  men  who  were 
just  entering  the  cafe. 

"For  the  love  of  Mike!" 

His  shrewd,  black  eyes  widening  with  amaze- 
ment, Bob  leaped  to  his  feet. 

"Look  who's  here!"  he  exclaimed  so  loudlv 
that  his  voice  reached  the  entering  trio.  "Oh, 
vou  Twinkle  Twins!" 


CHAPTER  II 

MEETING    COUSIN    EMILE 

((TT  THERE,  where ? ' ' 

V  Y/  Seated  with  his  back  to  the 
door,  Bob's  gleeful  announcement 
brought  Jimmy  also  to  his  feet.  By  this  time 
Bob  had  deserted  his  bunkies  and  was  making 
straight  for  two  young  men  in  the  uniform  of 
the  U.  S.  Aviation  Corps,  who  were  advancing 
to  meet  him. 

"Well,  well,  well!  If  it  isn't  old  Bob  and 
Blazes!" 

The  blue-eyed,  broadly-smiling  youth  who  ut- 
tered this  jubilant  recognition,  now  had  Bob's 
hand  in  a  firm  grip,  and  was  shaking  it  vigor- 
ously. Standing  beside  him,  his  brother,  an 
exact  counterpart  of  himself,  was  engaged  in 
greeting  Jimmy  with  equal  cordiality. 

"Let  me  in  on  this,"  commanded  a  laughing 
voice,  as  Roger  joined  the  delighted  quartette. 
' '  I  believe  I  've  seen  the  famous  Twinkle  Twins 
before  to-day." 

10 


MEETING  COUSIN  EMILE  11 

" You'd  better  believe  it,"  retorted  Jack 
Twinkle  ton.  "How  are  you,  Bodge?  You're 
looking  all  to  the  mustard." 

' '  Put  her  there !    How 's  the  good  old  scout  ? ' ' 

Jerry  Twinkleton  now  claimed  Eoger  's  atten- 
tion. 

"Oh,  we're  simply  fine.  You  can't  lose  us. 
It  isn't  being  done,  don't  you  know,  with  this 
gang." 

Roger's  face  glowed  with  friendliness  as  he 
greeted  the  illustrious  twins.  They  were  truly 
a  welcome  sight. 

"How  long  have  you  been  over,  and  where 
do  you  go  from  here?"  were  Jimmy's  quick 
questions.  "We  've  been  keeping  an  eye  out  and 
an  ear  open  ever  since  we  landed  in  France. 
Thought  we'd  see  you  or,  maybe,  hear  news  of 
you." 

"You're  the  great  little  scribes,  you  are," 
declared  Bob.  "We  haven't  had  a  line  from 
you  since  just  before  we  left  Sterling. ' ' 

"When  was  that?"  promptly  asked  Jack. 

"Oh,  early  in  February.  You  fellows  wrote 
that  you  were  expecting  most  any  day  to  go 
across." 

"Well,  we  went;  right  after  that,"  grinned 
Jack.  "We've  written  you  gazabos  three  let- 
ters since  then,  and  never  got  even  a  post  card 
in  return.  We've  abused  you  to  each  other  for 
fair.    Slackers;  that's  our  pet  name  for  you." 

"Yes,    that's    it,"  immediately    chimed    in 


12  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Jerry,  always  his  twin  brother's  faithful  re- 
peater. 

"We  never  got  'em."  Bob  shook  a  disgusted 
head.  "We  didn't  get  half  of  our  mail  at  Camp 
Marvin.  I  suppose  it's  chasing  us  around  yet. 
We'll  get  it  some  day  if  we  live  long  enough." 

"We  wrote  you  fellows  a  couple  of  letters, 
too,"  informed  Jimmy,  frowning. 

"Then  we've  got  something  coming  to  us, 
too,"  was  Jack's  cheerful  retort.  "Now  let's 
flop  and  have  a  chewing-bee.  Come  on  over  to 
our  table.  We've  a  fine  surprise  for  you.  We 
want  you  to  meet " 

"Cousin  Emile,"  supplied  Bob.  "I  spotted 
him  right  away.  We  have  a  couple  of  fellows 
with  us.  They  belong  to  the  gang.  One  of 
'em  is  Iggy.  You  remember?  We  told  you 
about  him.  The  other  is  a  new  pal  of  ours. 
We're  the  five  Brothers  now.  Oh,  maybe  we 
haven 't  a  bag  of  beans  to  spill ! ' ' 

"Get  your  two  Buddies  and  bring  'em  over 
to  that  table,"  directed  Jack,  pointing  to  an 
alcove  table,  larger  than  the  others.  "I'll  steer 
Emile  to  it,  by  the  time  you  round  up  your 
strays." 

With  this  he  and  his  brother  turned  and 
bolted  for  their  table,  at  which  the  famous  avia- 
tor had  already  seated  himself.  An  amused 
smile  touched  his  firm  mouth,  as  he  watched  his 
lively  cousins  and  their  friends. 

"Now  listen  to  the  howl  Iggins'll  put  up," 


MEETING  COUSIN  EMILE  13 

laughed  Jimmy,  as  the  three  Brothers  returned 
to  their  table.  "This  time  he  can't  fade  away 
and  disappear,  the  way  he  did  when  the  Twin- 
kle Twins  came  to  see  ns  at  Sterling. ' ' 

"I  can  no  go,"  was  the  prompt  refusal  Jimmy 
met  with. 

Half  rising  from  his  chair,  Ignace  showed 
signs  of  making  a  quick  retreat  from  the  cafe. 

"I  can  no  go,"  mimicked  Jimmy.  "You're 
going,  you  old  clam,  if  I  have  to  lead  you  along 
by  the  ear. ' ' 

Noting  signs  of  refusal  on  the  German- Amer- 
ican's face,  he  next  warned:  "Don't  you  get 
panicky,  either,  Schnitz!" 

"If  you  two  mules  go  to  balking,  we'll  turn 
you  out  to  shift  for  yourselves,"  threatened 
Bob.  '  *  Cousin  Emile  won't  eat  you.  He 's  care- 
ful about  what  he  eats. ' ' 

Bob 's  last  flippant  assertion  caused  Ignace  to 
snicker.  It  also  brought  a  faint  smile  to  Schnit- 
zel's somber  face. 

"All  right.  I'll  be  good,"  he  assented,  and 
obligingly  got  to  his  feet. 

"If  Iggy  doesn't  want  to  be  a  good  fellow, 
just  let  him  sit  here  all  by  his  lonesome  while 
we  have  a  good  time,"  suggested  Roger  slyly. 
"We'll  tell  the  Twinkles  and  Cousin  Emile  that 
he's  very  particular  about  whom  he  meets." 

Roger  winked  at  Bob,  as  he  made  this  inno- 
cent suggestion. 

"  No ! "    Ignace  fairly  bounced  from  his  chair. 


14      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"You  say  so,  you  ver'  mean!  I  go  by  you.  So 
is  it." 

"Oh,  just  as  you  please,"  teased  Roger. 

"I  please!" 

"With  the  expression  of  a  martyr  on  the  way 
to  execution,  Ignace  followed  in  the  wake  of 
his  bunkies,  as  they  toured  the  length  of  the 
room  to  the  alcove. 

Already  there,  and  seated  on  either  side  of 
their  illustrious  cousin,  the  Twinkle  Twins  rose 
to  do  the  honors. 

Each  one  of  the  five  Brothers  experienced  a 
thrill  of  excitement,  as,  in  turn,  he  shook  hands 
with  the  great  aviator.  They  saw  a  rather 
tall,  thin-faced  man  of  perhaps  thirty,  with 
bright,  dark  eyes,  and  very  black  hair.  They 
admired  his  strong  chin  and  close-lipped,  pleas- 
ant mouth.  Neither  could  they  fail  to  note  his 
litheness  of  movement,  as  he  rose  from  his  chair 
when  the  Khaki  Boys  were  introduced  to  him 
by  his  cousin  Jack. 

"Have  you  been  long  in  France?"  he  ques- 
tioned courteously,  as  the  party  took  seats  at 
the  round  table. 

"Only  a  few  weeks,  sir."     Jimmy  became 

spokesman.    "We  are  in  training  at  R . 

"We  hope  to  go  to  the  front  soon." 

"You  are  eager  for  a  taste  of  the  fighting, 
I  suppose."  The  aviator  smiled.  "That  seems 
to  be  the  prevailing  spirit  among  the  Ameri- 
can soldiers.    We  of  France  admire  it." 


MEETING  COUSIN  EMILE 15 

"France  has  set  us  an  example,  sir,  that  we 
glory  in  following.  The  whole  world  knows 
what  France  has  done  in  this  war. ' ' 

Jimmy's  face  lighted  into  glowing  enthus- 
iasm. 

"I  thank  you,  in  the  name  of  my  country. " 

The  aviator's  hand  lightly  touched  his  fore- 
head in  salute. 

Instantly  seven  hands  went  up  in  prompt  re- 
turn of  the  salute. 

"Now  let's  drop  the  form  and  ceremony  act," 
proposed  Jack  Twinkleton.  "I'll  salute  you, 
Emile,  when  I  have  to,  but  I'll  be  blamed  if  I 
will  when  I  can  get  out  of  it.  I've  a  great  deal 
of  respect  for  you  up  in  the  air,  and  some  when 
we're  down  on  the  ground.  Don't  forget  that, 
will  you?" 

"I  will  endeavor  to  remember."  The 
Frenchman  showed  white  teeth  in  an  indulgent 
smile.  "It  will  be,  perhaps,  a  trifle  difficult," 
he  slyly  added. 

"Ha,  ha!  Emile 's  onto  you,  Jack!"  rejoiced 
Jerry. 

"You're  my  twin,"  flashed  back  his  brother, 
with  the  wide,  jovial  grin  that  so  characterized 
the  Twinkle  Twins. 

"I'm  sorry,  but  it  can't  be  helped,"  retal- 
iated Jack,  duplicating  Jerry's  grin.  "Now 
let's  side-track  these  playful  little  compliments 
and  get  down  to  business.  I'm  crazy  to  know 
what  you  fellows  have  been  doing  since  you  left 


16      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Sterling.  You  tell  your  tale  and  then  we'll  tell 
ours.  Wait  a  minute  till  I  shoo  this  waiter 
away.  We  don't  want  to  order  yet.  We  want 
to  talk." 

"We  were  down  south  at  Marvin  for  a  while, 
then  one  day  we  started  out  on  a  hike  with  a 
big  detachment  of  Sammies,  and  we  never  went 
back  any  more,"  began  Bob,  when  Jack  had 
temporarily  banfshed  the  waiter  from  their  vi- 
cinity. "  First  thing  we  knew  we  were  piling 
into  a  train  and  after  we  rode  awhile  in  that 
we  got  tired  of  it,  and  switched  off  to  a  trans- 
port for  a  change.  It  was  the  Columbia,  and  I 
guess " 

"The  Columbia!"  exclaimed  three  voices  in 
unison. 

"Yes,  I  guess  we  do  know  what  happened  to 
the  Columbia,"  emphasized  Jack.  "And  you 
fellows  were  in  that  mix-up  and  came  out  0.  K. ! 
Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that?" 

"How'd  you  get  away  from  her,  and  what 
happened  to  you?"  was  Jerry's  excited  ques- 
tion. 

"Three  of  us  were  taken  off  her  by  a  de- 
stroyer. Bob  got  into  a  lifeboat,  and  another 
destroyer  picked  up  that  crew.  I  was  the  only 
one  who  got  wet.  I  had  a  swim  in  the  nice  cold 
water,  and  a  trawler  took  me  in  when  I  got 
tired,"  ended  Jimmy  whimsically. 

"That's  the  way  he  tells  it,"  sniffed  Bob. 
"Now  let  Bobby  speak  his  piece," 


MEETING  COUSIN  EMILE 17 

Whereupon  Bob  launched  forth  into  a  vivid 
account  of  Jimmy's  adventures  on  that  terrible 
night,  to  which  the  Twinkle  Twins  and  Cousin 
Emile  listened  with  ever-deepening  interest. 

Quite  naturally  Bob  was  obliged  to  go  further 
back  than  the  torpedoing  of  the  Columbia  in 
order  to  explain  the  events  that  had  led  up  to 
the  murderous  attack  made  upon  Jimmy  by 
the  German  wireless  operator.  Inevitably,  too, 
he  made  a  hero  of  his  bunkie,  regardless  of  the 
warning  signals  that  the  irate  Blazes  flashed 
at  him  from  two  resentful  gray  eyes. 

"Some  little  hero!"  was  Jack's  verdict,  his 
deep  blue  eyes  resting  admiringly  on  Jimmy, 
who  was  looking  embarrassed  and  a  trifle  sulky. 

"Oh,  I'm  not  so  much,"  he  muttered. 

"Always  he  say!"  broke  in  a  solemn  voice. 

Temporarily  bereft  of  speech  in  the  presence 
of  the  Twinkle  Twins  and  their  distinguished 
relative,  Iggy  rallied  to  the  cause  of  his  beloved 
Brother. 

"So  is  it  Jimmy  think,"  continued  Ignace 
stolidly,  now  bound  to  be  heard.  ' '  He  have  the 
much  do,  ver'  good,  ver'  brave." 

"I  agree  with  you."  The  aviator  bent  a 
kindly  glance  on  Ignace  that  caused  him  sud- 
denly to  realize  that  this  wonderful  "fly  man" 
had  "the  kind  heart."  In  consequence,  he  for- 
got his  awe  of  the  great  Voissard  and  beamed 
genially  upon  him. 

"Just  to  be  even  with  you,  Ignace  So  Pulin- 


18       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

ski,  I  'm  going  to  tell  what  you  did, ' '  announced 
Jimmy. 

"No-a!"     Ignace  raised  a  protesting  hand. 

Nevertheless,  Jimmy  recounted  the  incident 
relating  to  his  Polish  bunkie's  firm  faith  in  the 
destroyer,  which  immediately  raised  a  laugh. 

"Now  you  even,  you  don'  say  no  more 
nothin',"  decreed  Iggy,  very  red  in  the  face. 

"All  right,  I  won't,"  promised  Jimmy.  "I 
haven't  anything  more  to  say,  anyway,  except 
that  we  all  got  together  again  in  Ireland.  We 
went  to  England  to  a  rest  camp  and  from  there 
to  France.  Now  let's  hear  what  happened  to 
the  Twinkle  Twins  since  we  saw  'em  last. ' ' 

"Just  a  minute  and  we'll  tell  you,"  nodded 
Jack.  "Did  you  ever  hear  whether  the  body 
of  this  bridge  fellow  was  recovered?  A  good 
many  of  the  bodies  of  those  poor  Sammies  were 
washed  ashore." 

"This  fellow  isn't  dead."  Jimmy's  eyes 
grew  briefly  troubled.  "Bob  forgot  to  say  in 
his  wonderful  story  that  I  saw  him  afterward 
in  Belfast.  We  were  on  the  train  just  getting 
ready  to  pull  out  of  Belfast.  I  was  watching 
the  crowd  on  the  station  platform  from  the  win- 
dow. I  saw  him,  sure  as  .guns.  He  saw  me  and 
he  recognized  me.  He  gave  me  one  awful  look 
and  beat  it  through  the  crowd." 

"Quite  remarkable!"  Voissard's  dark  eyes 
were  fixed  reflectively  on  Jimmy.  "Describe 
the  appearance  of  this  man.    I  may  be  able  to 


MEETING  COUSIN  EMILE 19 

place  him.  The  Prefect  of  Police,  here  in  Paris, 
is  my  personal  friend.  Through  him  I  have 
learned  much  regarding  criminals.  I  have 
seen  photographs  of  many  Germans  badly 
wanted  by  the  Allied  powers,  either  for  par- 
ticularly serious  crimes,  or  because  they  are 
known  to  be  spies  of  unusual  cleverness  and 
daring. ' ' 

"This  Charles  Black,  as  he  called  himself,  is 
no  common  criminal,"  began  Jimmy,  then  con- 
tinued with  a  detailed  description  of  the  "tiger 
man. ' ' 

The  aviator  listened  attentively,  a  slight 
frown  contracting  his  dark  brows. 

"I  cannot  place  him,"  he  said  when  Jimmy 
had  finished.  "My  friend,  the  Prefect,  may  be 
able  to  do  so.  I  intend  to  remain  in  Paris  for 
a  day  or  two.  I  expect  to  dine  with  him  to- 
morrow evening.  I  will  make  inquiry  of  him. 
In  case  I  should  learn  anything  of  interest  I 
will  communicate  it  to  you  either  in  person  or 
by  letter.  It  is  possible  that  I  may  soon  visit 
your  camp  at  R . ' ' 

"I  wish  you  would  sir,"  Jimmy  responded 
with  a  fervor  that  conveyed  his  utter  delight 
of  the  prospect. 

"Merci."  The  one  simple  word  was  spoken 
as  only  a  Frenchman  can  say,  "Thank  you." 

Their  eyes  meeting  levelly,  boy  and  man  each 
realized  that  he  had  found  a  friend. 


CHAPTER  ni 

TRAILED 

OU  made  us  tell  our  troubles  first,  now 
it's  time  the  Twinkle  Twins  took  a 
turn  at  talking,"  Bob  presently  sug- 
gested. 

The  garcon  having  at  last  been  allowed  to 
take  the  dinner  order  of  the  new  arrivals,  a 
brief  lull  in  conversation  had  ensued. 

"Oh,  we  haven't  much  to  tell,"  Jack  re- 
sponded lightly.  "We  made  good  in  a  hurry  at 
Berkley.  You  can't  keep  a  good  man  down,  you 
know.  * ' 

"A  couple  of  good  men,"  insinuated  genial 
Jerry. 

"Twins  that  are  equal  to  the  same  twin,  are 
equal  to  each  other,"  supplied  Jimmy,  smil- 
ingly misquoting  a  well-known  axiom  in  ge- 
ometry. 

"That's  us."  Jack  beamed  widely.  "We 
hunt  in  couples.  There's  only  one  drawback. 
Some  day  when  I  go  up  in  a  Nieuport  and  bring 

20 


TRAILED  21 


down  a  Zep,  Jerry '11  probably  get  the  credit  for 
it." 

1 '  You  mean  it  '11  be  just  the  other  way  round, ' ' 
retorted  Jerry. 

"It's  a  sore  subject.  Let's  can  it.  Where 
was  I  when  my  beloved  twin  butted  in?  Oh, 
yes.  We  did  pretty  well  at  Berk.  As  soon  as 
we  showed  'em,  we  put  up  a  howl  to  go  over. 
We  kept  it  up,  too.  They  got  so  sick  of  us,  they 
shipped  us  out  of  the  States  to  get  rid  of  us. 

"We  had  a  peach  of  a  voyage  over.  Fine 
weather,  and  neither  of  us  seasick.  We  were 
used  to  the  old  pond,  you  know.  When  we 
landed  we  were  sent  to  an  American  aviation 
station  near  Paris.  We've  been  there  ever 
since.  That 's  only  a  few  weeks,  though.  We  Ve 
been  studying  like  anything,  and  making  a  few 
flights.  Haven't  yet  had  a  chance  to  go  out  on 
a  real  fighting  expedition. ' ' 

' '  Emile  's  trying  to  get  us  transferred  to  the 
French  Flying  Corps,"  put  in  Jerry  eagerly. 
"We  pestered  him  about  it  until  he  promised 
in  self-defense.  We  want  to  fly  a  Farman  or 
a  Nieuport.  It's  hard  to  get  on  the  Nieuport 
squad.  We  '11  have  to  do  a  lot  of  practice  work 
before  we're  ready  to  handle  one." 

"Emile  thinks  we  can  make  good,"  Jack  de- 
clared jubilantly.    "Don't  you  old  coz?" 

"Yes.  These  two  have  greatly  surprised 
me."  Voissard  directed  this  last  to  the  Khaki 
Boys.     "I  did  not  know  they  had  enlisted  in 


22  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


the  aviation  corps  until  they  wrote  me  from  the 
American  station  in  France.  I  am  not  sure  that 
a  transfer  to  the  French  Flying  Corps  can  be 
arranged.  However,  these  boys  were  born  iii 
France,  and  of  French  and  English  parents. 
This  fact  will,  perhaps,  be  of  much  help  in  ar- 
ranging the  transfer. ' ' 

"We  feel  nearer  to  France,  somehow,  than 
to  the  U.  S.,  even  though  we've  lived  in  the 
States  a  good  deal/'  explained  Jack.  "We 
should  have  piked  over  here  and  signed  up  with 
the  French  Flying  Corps  in  the  first  place.  It 
would  have  saved  a  lot  of  red  tape." 

"Leave  it  to  old  Emile,"  was  Jerry's  dis- 
respectful^ affectionate  comment.  "We  should 
worry.    Let  Emile  do  it. " 

"You  see!"  Cousin  Emile 's  eyebrows  and 
shoulders  went  into  amused  play. 

"They're  a  lucky  pair  of  twins,"  was  Bob's 
hearty  rejoinder. 

"Not  yet,"  demurred  Jack.  "Wait  until 
we're  'aces.'  " 

"And  after  that  'Communiques/ "  added 
Jerry  soulfully. 

"To  be  an  'ace'  you  have  to  kill  five  Boche 
flyers,  and  bring  down  their  planes,"  explained 
Jack.  "Ten  is  the  number  to  be  a  'Com- 
munique/ Emile  is  four  times  a  'Communique' 
and  five  to  boot.  He's  clipped  forty-five  Boche 
birds  of  their  wings  and  lives.  Some  record! 
He  has  medals  enough  to  cover  his  chest,  only 


TRAILED  23 


lie  won't  wear  'em.  He's  the  'Flying  Terror 
of  France,'  all  right." 

With  one  accord  the  Khaki  Boys  fixed  won- 
dering eyes  on  the  ' '  Flying  Terror  of  France. ' ' 
His  sky-blue  uniform  flaunted  but  two  of  the 
many  emblems  of  valor  he  had  daringly  won. 

His  honors  appeared  not  to  trouble  him  in 
the  least.  He  merely  smiled  and  said  in  his  in- 
imitable way : 

"I  have  been  fortunate.  It  cannot  continue. ' ' 
He  shrugged  faintly.  ' '  Our  career  in  the  air  is, 
of  a  truth,  brief.  The  danger  is  great,  but  the 
reward  greater.  When  we  have,  as  the  English 
say,  'done  our  bit,'  France  has  many  more 
ready  to  replace  us.  That  is,  indeed,  of  a  satis- 
faction. ' ' 

A  momentary  silence  reigned  as  the  aviator 
ceased  speaking.  His  calm  disregard  of  self 
brought  home  anew  to  the  Khaki  Boys  the  gal- 
lant, indomitable  spirit  of  France  in  the  great 
war.  Each  cherished  the  secret  hope  that  he, 
too,  should  never  be  found  wanting  in  the  high 
quality  of  loyalty  to  the  cause  which  Voissard 
possessed  to  such  a  degree. 

Apparently  desirous  of  leading  the  conversa- 
tion away  from  himself,  Cousin  Emile  began 
asking  the  Khaki  Boys  numerous  interested 
questions  concerning  their  training  in  America. 
Though  his  eyes  frequently  rested  on  Jimmy, 
to  whom  he  had  taken  a  decided  fancy,  he 
slighted  no  one  of  them. 


\ 

24       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Bob's  humorous  manner  and  breezy  speecli 
evidently  amused  him  considerably.  Quick  to 
note  this,  Bob  laid  himself  out  to  be  entertain- 
ing, and  succeeded  to  the  extent  of  making  the 
great  man  laugh  in  a  delightfully  boyish  fash- 
ion that  put  his  somewhat  awed  group  of  soldier 
admirers  quite  at  their  ease.  Voissard  was, 
after  all,  "just  a  good  fellow." 

The  reappearance  of  the  waiter  with  the  din- 
ner, ordered  by  the  Twinkle  Twins  and  Cousin 
Emile,  reminded  the  five  Brothers  that  consid- 
erable time  had  passed  since  they  had  finished 
their  own  meal. 

"It's  after  eight,"  Jimmy  Blaise  announced 
regretfully,  after  a  glance  at  his  wrist  watch. 
"We'll  have  to  be  moving  along.  If  we  were 
back  in  the  U.  S.  now,  we'd  hang  on  till  the 
last  drop  of  the  hat  and  then  hot-foot  it.  But 
not  in  gay  Paree,  with  the  gay  knocked  out  of 
it  by  the  Boche  scrap.  If  we  get  back  to  the 
station  0.  K.,  and  on  the  right  train,  we'll  think 
ourselves  some  smart  little  Sammies." 

"Oh,  that's  too  bad!"  exclaimed  Jack  rue- 
fully. "Why  beat  it  so  soon?  You  don't  have 
to  be  back  in  camp  before  midnight,  do  you?" 

"We're  free  till  then,  but  we'd  rather  not  risk 
starting  any  later,"  Roger  answered.  "Wr 
don 't  know  Paris  as  well  as  you  do. ' ' 

"It's  a  blooming  shame,"  deplored  Jerry. 
"We  wanted  to  take  you  around  with  us  for  a 
while  after  dinner.' ' 


TRAILED  25 

"Maybe  we'll  have  a  chance  to  come  up  to 
Paris  again,"  was  Bob's  hopeful  reply. 

The  Khaki  Boys  had  now  risen  most  reluct- 
antly, and  were  about  to  say  good-bye. 

"We'll  try  to  run  down  to  your  camp  to  see 
you,"  promised  Jack.  "We'll  send  you  a  line 
beforehand. ' ' 

The  twins  and  their  distinguished  cousin  were 
now  on  their  feet. 

"Make  it  soon,  then,"  stipulated  Jimmy.. 
"We  think  we're  going  to  start  for  the  front 
before  long.  509th  Infantry's  ours,  you  know. 
You  won't  have  much  trouble  finding  us." 

"If  it  happens  that  we  don't  see  you  again 
there,  we  '11  hope  to  meet  you  somewhere  back  of 
the  firing  line,"  declared  Schnitzel  earnestly. 
"I've  surely  enjoyed  meeting  the  Twinkle 
Twins. 

' '  And  you,  sir. ' '  He  turned  to  Voissard.  ' '  It 
has  been  a  great  honor  to  me  to  shake  your 
hand. ' ' 

"Merci.  I  have  also  much  enjoyed  this  hour 
with  my  American  Allies, ' '  responded  Voissard 
graciously. 

He  offered  his  hand  to  Schnitzel,  then  in  turn 
to  each  of  the  other  four  Brothers,  all  of  whom 
expressed  their  warm  pleasure  of  the  meeting. 

Jimmy  came  last.  As  the  two  men  clasped 
hands  their  eyes  again  met  and  again  ex- 
changed that  silent  message  of  friendliness.  A 
general  hand-shaking  with  the  Twinkle  Twins 


26      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

followed,  then  the  Khaki  Boys  said  a  last 
good-bye  and  left  the  restaurant. 

"Shall  we  walk  or  hail  a  taxi?"  asked  Bob, 
as  they  stepped  out  into  the  street.  "The  full 
moon  is  on  the  job  to-night.  We  can  see  our 
way  along  even  though  this  burg  is  shy  on 
street  lights. " 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  war  Paris  had 
shown  few  street  lights  after  nightfall.  Due  to 
the  fiendish  Boche  practice  of  making  nocturnal 
air  raids  for  the  purpose  of  dropping  bombs, 
principally  upon  defenseless  women  and  inno- 
cent little  children,  every  possible  precaution 
had  been  taken  to  guard  this  city  against  the 
inhuman  cruelty  of  an  ignoble  foe. 

"We'd  better  ride,"  decided  prudent  Roger. 
"It  will  be  quicker  and  we'll  run  no  chance  of 
losing  our  way.  Here  comes  a  taxi  now.  Hail 
it,  Blazes.    You  know  how  to  parles-vous." 

Immediately  complying,  Jimmy  signaled  the 
driver  of  the  machine.  A  moment's  shrewd 
"bargaining  with  the  latter  regarding  the  fare 
to  the  station,  and  Jimmy  motioned  his  bun- 
kies  to  step  into  the  motor  car. 

None  of  the  five  observed,  as  they  entered 
the  vehicle,  that  a  man  had  emerged  from  the 
shadows  of  a  neighboring  building  and  signal- 
ed another  taxicab  just  driving  up  to  the  curb. 
In  consequence,  they  were  not  aware  that  the 
second  taxicab  was  sedulously  keeping  on  the 
trail  of  their  own. 


CHAPTER  IV 

AN  UNSEEN  FOE 

IT  was  not  a  long  journey  to  the  station  for 
which  the  Khaki  Boys  were  bound.  During 
the  ride  they  had  plenty  to  say  in  regard 
to  the  interesting  trio  they  had  left  behind 
them.  What  had  been  rather  a  dull  afternoon 
had  suddenly  turned  into  a  red-letter  evening. 
Not  only  were  they  jubilant  at  having  again 
encountered  the  Twinkle  Twins.  They  had 
also  met  one  of  the  great  heroes  of  France,  and 
they  could  not  readily  get  over  it. 

Arrived  at  the  station,  they  were  obliged  to 
spend  half  an  hour  there  before  getting  a  train 
back  to  camp.  Still  absorbed  in  enthusiastic 
talk  concerning  their  absent  friends,  they  were 
not  impatient  over  this  little  wait. 

With  the  train  on  time,  the  five  Brothers  cal- 
culated reaching  camp  in  good  season.  Once 
there  a  few  moments'  brisk  walking  would  see 
them  safely  back  in  quarters. 

All  now  being  non-commissioned  officers  they 
27 


28  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

had  found  it  comparatively  easy  to  make  ar- 
rangements to  be  together.  They  were  now 
well  aware,  however,  that  when  they  reached  a 
village  back  of  the  firing  line  this  state  of  af- 
fairs could  not  continue.  Each  would  probably 
be  quartered  in  a  separate  residence  with  a 
number  of  privates  in  his  charge. 

" We've  barrels  of  time,"  announced  Bob,  as 
the  train  stopped  in  front  of  the  camp  station. 
"Where's  our  jailer?  It's  time  he  came  and 
let  us  out  of  the  jug." 

By  "jug"  Bob  humorously  referred  to  the 
compartment  which  the  guard  had  locked  at  the 
beginning  of  the  journey.  As  it  happened,  the 
guard  was  at  that  moment  engaged  in  unlock- 
ing another  compartment  from  which  issued  a 
solitary  man,  heavily  bearded,  his  hat  pulled 
over  his  eyes. 

Almost  coincidental  with  Bob's  inquiry  the 
"jailer"  appeared  and  opened  the  door  for  his 
temporary  prisoners.  The  Khaki  Boys  skipped 
nimbly  out  of  the  compartment  and  started  off 
at  a  leisurely  pace  across  the  station  platform. 

"A  fine  evening  for  a  hike,"  pronounced 
Roger  presently,  drawing  in  a  long  breath  of 
the  crisp  night  air.  ' '  Just  enough  cold  to  make 
a  fellow  feel  brisk  and  snappy." 

"Don't  you  get  ' snappy'  with  me,"  warned 
Bob  jokingly.  "I'm  in  a  real  good  humor  and 
I'd  hate  to  have  to  snap  back." 

Now  well  away  from  the  station,  the  hikers 


AN  UNSEEN  FOE 29 

were  tramping  along  five  abreast  in  the  middle 
of  a  street  of  a  little  French  village,  which 
they  had  to  traverse  in  order  to  reach  their 
camp. 

''It's  almost  as  light  as  day,"  Jimmy 
squinted  up  at  the  round  moon.  "This  would 
be  a  fine  night  for  a  Boche  air  raid  on  Paris." 

"Too  light,"  disagreed  Schnitzel.  "A  Zep 
would  be  spotted  in  a  hurry  and  the  Archies 
would  get  busy  and  smash  it." 

By  "Archies"  Schnitzel  referred  to  the 
anti-aircraft  guns,  a  part  of  the  defenses  of 
Paris  against  air  raids. 

"Did  you  hear  what  Voissard  was  telling 
me  about  the  megaphones  posted  outside  the 
city?"  asked  Eoger. 

Ignace,  Schnitzel  and  Bob  answered  in  the 
affirmative. 

"I  only  caught  part  of  it.  I  was  talking  to 
Jack,"  replied  Jimmy.  "What  was  it  he 
said?" 

"Well,  they  call  these  megaphones  'the  ears 
of  Paris.'  They  are  recording  reversed  ma- 
chines with  microphone  attachments.  They're 
set  up  in  clusters  of  four  at  different  points 
just  outside  the  city.  Through  them  the  sound 
of  an  airship's  engine  and  propellers  can  be 
heard  five  miles  away.  There's  a  look-out  for 
every  bunch  of  'em.  The  minute  they  begin  to 
hum  he  sends  warning.  Then,  bing!  The 
searchlights  blaze  up  in  the  sky  and  a  flock 


30  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

of  aeroplanes  get  busy  and  attack  the  Boche 
raiders.'' 

"Good  work!"  approved  Jimmy.  "I  won- 
der if  it's  the  same  in  London!  There  seem 
to  be  more  raids  there  than  any  place  else. 
Almost  every  big  raid  yon  read  about 's  on 
London. ' ' 

"I  suppose  the  fog  gives  the  brutes  more  of 
a  show  to  drop  bombs,"  reflected  Schnitzel. 

"It's  a  horrible  business,"  growled  Bob. 
"I'm  glad  the  Allies  are  beginning  to  give  the 
dogs  some  of  their  own  dope.  I  wish  they'd 
wipe  Germany  off  the  map." 

"She'll  do  that  for  herself  if  she  keeps  on 
trying  a  little  longer.  I'd  hate  to  be  deutschy 
Deutschland  when  our  Allies  get  through  with 
her.  She  '11  sure  be  out  in  the  cold, ' '  predicted 
Eoger. 

"Let  her  freeze.  She  deserves  it,"  was 
Jimmy's  vengeful  opinion. 

"So  think  I,"  echoed  Ignace,  who  had  been 
plodding  tranquilly  along  with  his  Brothers  in 
his  usual  silent  fashion. 

"Poland  at  last  heard  from!"  exclaimed 
Bob.  "I  thought  it  had  been  struck  dumb  by 
Cousin  Emile." 

"No  yet,"  flung  back  Ignace.  "So  much  I 
hear  I  feel  to  keep  the  shut  up.  So  mebbe  I 
learn  som'thin'." 

"Oh,  my  conversation  is  always  highly  in- 
structive," Bob  patronizingly  assured.    "You 


AN  UNSEEN  FOE 31 

can  learn  something  from  Bobby  every  time  lie 
opens  his  mouth.  He's  a  walking  compendium 
of  knowledge  and  a  spouting  fount  of  useful 
information. ' ' 

"We'll  let  Bobby  tell  it,"  jeered  Jimmy.  "I 
wouldn't  be  caught  dead " 

Walking  next  to  Bob,  something  suddenly 
cut  the  narrow  space  between  the  two  with  the 
peculiar  whistling  whine  which  belongs  only 
to  a  speeding  bullet. 

' '  Drop ! ' '  yelled  Jimmy,  suiting  the  action  to 
the  word.    ' '  Some  Boche  has  it  in  for  us ! " 


CHAPTER  V 

A  WILD  GOOSE   CHASE 

LIKE  a  flash,  five  uniformed  figures  flat- 
tened themselves  to  the  ground  as  sev- 
eral more  bullets  whistled  above  them. 
Though  they  heard  no  report,  a  peculiar  sound 
as  of  an  almost  silent  concussion  accompanied 
the  whine  of  each  winging  bullet. 

For  a  moment  or  two  the  Khaki  Boys  pressed 
close  to  the  cold  earth,  too  greatly  flabbergasted 
for  speech. 

It  was  Jimmy  who  first  cautiously  raised  him- 
self a  little  from  the  frozen  ground.  A  bullet 
promptly  sang  past  his  head  causing  him  to 
quickly  duck  and  resume  his  former  position. 

" Where  are  they  coming  from?"  breathed 
Bob. 

"On  the  left.  That  gateway,"  muttered 
Roger. 

The  Khaki  Boys  had  been  in  the  act  of  pass- 
ing an  apparently  deserted  house  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village.    It  was  surrounded  by  a 

32 


A   WILD  GOOSE  CHASE 33 

high  stone  wall,  but  the  gate  was  missing,  leav- 
ing a  wide  aperture. 

Roger's  alert  eyes  had  noted  it  just  as  they 
came  abreast  of  it.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
road  a  little  above  it  stood  another  house,  dark 
like  the  first. 

"Then  charge  it,"  came  impatiently  from 
Jimmy. 

Up  in  a  flash,  the  quintette  made  a  bold  dash 
toward  the  danger  spot.  Strangely  enough  not 
a  single  bullet  more  was  directed  at  them  by 
their  unknown  foe. 

Reaching  the  gateway,  no  one  was  to  be  seen. 
The  clear  moonlight  shone  whitely  down  upon 
it,  bathing  the  darkly  outlined  wall  with  radi- 
ant light. 

"Whoever  ambushed  us  has  cut  and  run 
along  close  to  the  wall  and  down  among  those 
trees  and  outbuildings,"  surmised  Bob. 

"Come  on,  let's  after  'em,"  proposed  Jimmy 
sharply.  "We're  losing  time.  We'll  never 
nab  'em  at  this  rate.  Hug  the  wall,  though. 
It's  safer." 

Led  by  impetuous  Jimmy  the  party  traversed 
on  the  run  a  long  stretch  of  bare  ground  that 
sloped  gradually  down  to  a  small  orchard  at 
the  end  of  the  grounds.  Their  eyes  were 
sharply  trained  ahead  to  catch  a  first  glimpse 
of  their  quarry,  hidden  perhaps  behind  the 
trunk  of  a  tree. 

Against  the  moon's   silver   rays   the   trees 


34      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

stood  out  sharply,  their  bare  branches  afford- 
ing little  shadow  in  which  the  fugitive  enemy 
might  seek  concealment. 

First  impulse  toward  self-protection  under 
fire  had  been  completely  routed  by  the  desire 
to  give  chase.  The  hunters  now  darted  reck- 
lessly in  and  out  among  the  trees,  oblivious  to 
the  possibility  of  a  fresh  attack  from  a  new 
quarter. 

None  came.  Neither  did  they  glimpse  any 
human  beings  other  than  themselves.  The 
enemy  evidently  had  abandoned  his  or  their 
murderous  project,  and  fled  from  the  premises. 
Continued  search  led  to  the  discovery  of  a  gap 
in  the  lower  end  of  the  wall. 

"Here's  where  they  beat  it!"  Bob  pointed 
triumphantly  to  the  gap. 

"Looks  like  it.  We've  gone  over  every  foot 
of  this  orchard.' ' 

Koger  frowningly  eyed  the  break  in  the  wall. 

"I  don't  believe  it  was  they/'  Jimmy  shook 
a  decided  head.  "It  was  he.  A  one-man  game. 
He  had  a  gun  with  a  Maxim  silencer,  too. 
That's  why  we  heard  only  a  queer  muffled 
sound  instead  of  distinct  reports." 

"That's  so,"  agreed  Schnitzel.  "Anyhow, 
if  there 'd  been  two  or  three  of  'em  the  whole 
bunch  couldn  't  have  skiddooed  without  our  see- 
ing at  least  one  of  'em. ' ' 

"So  think  I  mebbe  scare  som'  Boche  pretty 
bad,  we  run  after,"  offered  Ignace. 


A  WILD  GOOSE  CHASE 35 

"Somebody  was  sure  plugging  for  the 
Fatherland,' '  asserted  Bob.  "Nearly  plugged 
us,  too.  The  first  shot  zipped  between  Blazes' 
head  and  mine." 

"If  we'd  jumped  up  and  started  on  we'd 
have  got  another  peppering.  The  sharpshooter 
who  couldn't  shoot  sharp  didn't  figure  on  our 
rushing  the  gate.  It  gave  him  such  a  jolt  that 
he  beat  it." 

"Where  did  he  go?"  demanded  Jimmy. 

"In  an  opposite  direction  to  us,  I  suppose," 
surmised  Schnitzel.  "While  we  were  hiking 
for  that  orchard  he  was  hot-footing  it  along 
the  other  way.  Two  of  us  should  have  gone 
one  way  and  three  the  other. ' ' 

"Then  he  certainly  didn't  go  through  this 
gap.  We're  a  nice  bunch  of  rookies,"  jeered 
Bob.  "All  run  in  one  direction  like  a  flock  of 
sheep. ' ' 

"Well,  we  were  excited,"  excused  Jimmy 
with  a  sickly  grin. 

"You  mean  rattled,"  laughed  Roger. 

"It  was  all  Bob's  fault,"  accused  Jimmy 
jocularly.  "If  he  hadn't  gone  and  said  that 
our  gunman  had  beat  it  along  the  wall  and 
into  that  orchard  we  wouldn't  have  been  in  such 
a  rush  to  beat  it  after  him. ' ' 

"Yes,  and  what  did  you  sayf "  retorted  Bob 
in  the  same  joking  spirit.  "You  were  first  man 
to  yell,  'Come  on,  let's  after  him.'  Then  away 
you  went  and  took  us  along." 


36       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

'•'Well,  you  didn't  have  to  go,  did  youf" 
countered  Jimmy. 

"Sure  we  did,  else  why  are  we  Blazes' 
bunkies?" 

There  was  an  earnest  note  "back  of  this 
lightly  uttered  reply.  Jimmy  caught  it.  Slap- 
ping Bob  on  the  shoulder  he  said:  "Good  old 
Bob.    You're  not  so  worse.    I  kind  of  like  you. " 

"So  glad,  I'm  sure,"  simpered  Bob,  return- 
ing the  slap  with  interest. 

"It's  just  as  well  that  we  kept  together,  I 
guess,"  commented  Roger  soberly.  "There's 
safety  in  numbers,  you  know.  I  don't  see  that 
there's  any  use  in  hanging  around  here.  Our 
man  has  given  us  the  slip.  It  must  have  been 
some  stray  Boche  out  on  his  own.  Not  a  sol- 
dier, but  some  secret  sympathizer  with  the 
Fatherland,  perhaps.  Else  why  would  he  be 
slipping  around  behind  gates  to  plug  passing 
soldiers?  It's  unusual  for  a  party  from  camp 
to  be  shot  at  like  that  so  far  back  from  the 
fighting  district." 

"This  yellow  sneak  might  have  been  hang- 
ing around  the  station  when  we  got  off  the 
train. ' ' 

As  usual,  Bob  was  full  of  theories.  "He 
knew  it  was  a  straight  road  to  camp  and  that 
he  couldn  't  miss  us.  Very  likely  he  knows  this 
part  of  the  country  like  a  book,  so  he  just  took 
a  cross-cut  and  waited  at  the  gate  for  us.  It 
was  a  fine  chance  to  get  a  whack  at  the  '  Ameri- 


A   WILD  GOOSE  CHASE 37 

can  dogs. '  Long  live  Bunco  Bill — not !  I  hope 
he  chokes !"  anathematized  Bob. 

' '  Some  healthy  little  hate, ' '  snickered  Jimmy. 

"Oh,  Bobby's  a  fine  hearty  hater,"  was  the 
light  assurance.  "Well,  let's  be  on  our  way. 
We'd  better  be  traveling  along  to  camp.  Dou- 
ble quick,  fellows,  when  we  hit  the  road.  We  11 
stand  less  chance  of  getting  potted  as  we  go." 

Out  on  the  road  again  an  excited  discussion 
arose  as  they  hurried  campward.  It  pertained 
to  the  motive  for  the  unexpected  attack.  Un- 
doubtedly a  prowling  Boche  had  fired  on  them. 
They  believed  it  was  not  usual  for  soldiers  to 
be  thus  attacked  so  far  back  of  the  fighting  dis- 
trict. Certainly  they  had  not  anticipated  such 
an  ending  to  their  peaceful  pleasure  jaunt. 

Camp  limits  reached,  they  were  challenged  by 
a  sentry  and  allowed  to  go  on  to  quarters  after 
making  satisfactory  response  and  being  ad- 
vanced to  be  recognized. 

After  he  had  turned  in  that  night  a  swift, 
unbidden  thought  popped  into  Sergeant  Jimmy 
Blaise's  brain  just  as  he  was  dropping  off  to 
sleep.  It  left  him  wide  awake  and  staring  re- 
flectively into  the  darkness.  He  wondered  if, 
by  any  possible  chance,  the  "tiger  man"  had 
succeeded  in  picking  up  his  trail. 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE    UNFORESEEN 


J^TVE  got  fine  news  here  for  you  guys!" 

Jimmy  Blaise  bolted  into  the  midst  of 
A    his  bunkies,  who  were  grouped  together 
in  their  own  corner  of  barracks  waiting  for  sup- 
per call  to  blow.     In  his  hand  was  an  open 
letter  which  he  waved  triumphantly  at  them. 

"From  Voissard, "  he  jubilantly  informed 
them.  "He's  coming  down  to  see  us  on  Satur- 
day, along  with  the  Twinkle  Twins.  Glad  it's 
a  half-holiday.  "We'll  have  more  chance  to 
show  'em  around.  Wait  a  minute  and  I'll  read 
it  to  you." 

Surrounded  by  an  interested  audience, 
Jimmy  spread  open  the  letter  and  read: 

"  'Dear  Sergeant  Blaise: 

"  'With  much  pleasure  I  write  to  inform  you 
that  my  cousins  and  myself  expect  to  pay  you 
and  your  friends  the  visit  on  Saturday  after- 
noon.   I  have  something  of  importance  to  im- 

38 


THE  UNFORESEEN  39 

part  to  you  regarding  the  matter  we  discussed 
in  Paris.    With  best  wishes  I  remain, 
"  'Sincerely, 

"  'EMILE  VoiSSARD.'  " 

"Three  whoops  for  Cousin  Emile!"  caroled 
Bob.  "We  certainly  are  the  original  white- 
haired  boys.  Think  of  a  visit  from  the  'Flying 
Terror  of  France'!  This  place  won't  hold  us, 
we  '11  be  so  puffed  up  with  pride  and  vanity ! ' ' 

"He's  not  a  bit  particular  about  his  com- 
pany, ' '  grinned  Roger.  ' '  The  humble  non-com 
and  the  president  of  France  are  all  one  to 
Cousin  Emile.     That's  the  way  it  looks." 

"That's  the  way  it  is"  emphasized  Jimmy. 
"Voissard  has  earned  the  right  to  do  as  he 
pleases.  He  knows  it  and  that  explains  every- 
thing. Anyway,  he  has  business  to  talk  over 
with  Blazes.    Ahem!" 

"See  him  puff  out  his  chest."  Bob  wagged 
a  derisive  head  at  Jimmy.  "He  throws  that 
old  bluff,  'I'm  not  so  much,'  but  he  means, 
'I'm  it!'" 

"Spotted  at  last,"  was  Jimmy's  grinning  ad- 
mission. "I  knew  you'd  get  wise  to  me  some 
day. ' ' 

"We  hated  to  tell  you,"  teased  Schnitzel, 
joining  in  the  banter.  "Now  you  know  it,  don't 
feel  too  bad  about  it." 

"My  heart's  bruised  but  not  broken,"  re- 
taliated Jimmy.    "I  can  stand  a  few  more  such 


40  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

shocks  and  still  keep  on  going.  What's  the 
matter  with  you,  Iggy?  Haven't  you  a  gentle 
little  knock  to  hand  me?  Now's  the  time.  I'm 
in  a  real  good  humor." 

"Never  I  hand  you  him  that  knock,"  re- 
sponded Ignace  with  deep  solemnity. 

"He  keeps  'em  for  Bobby,  don't  you 
Iggins?" 

"Ye-a. "  Ignace  snickered  at  Bob's  accusa- 
tion. "I  like  make  the  fon  to  you,  'cause  al- 
ways you  make  the  fon  to  me." 

Supper  call  broke  in  upon  this  good-humored 
exchange  of  raillery.  Loyal  to  the  death  the 
five  Brothers  rarely  took  one  another  seriously. 
Even  solemn  Ignace  had  learned  the  art  of 
"joshing"  which  is  second  nature  to  the  Amer- 
ican youth. 

Several  days  had  passed  since  the  Khaki 
Boys  had  made  the  eventful  trip  to  Paris  which 
had  ended  in  an  attempt  on  their  lives  by  an 
unknown  foe.  They  had  reported  the  affair  to 
headquarters  the  next  morning.  Jimmy  Blaise 
had  said  nothing,  however,  to  anyone,  of  his 
own  private  suspicion  concerning  the  "tiger 
man."  It  was  merely  a  vague  supposition  on 
his  part,  and  he  was  quite  willing  to  "let 
sleeping  tigers  lie." 

Inquiry  in  camp  among  men  who  had  been 
there  longer  than  themselves  revealed  to  the 
Khaki  Boys  the  knowledge  that  occasionally 
similar  night  attacks  had  been  made  upon  sol- 


THE  UNFORESEEN 41 

diers  going  or  coming  from  the  village.  In  one 
instance  a  Sammy  had  been  wounded  in  the  leg 
and  had  lain  groaning  by  the  roadside  until 
picked  up  by  a  party  of  his  comrades  returning 
to  camp  from  the  village. 

This  rather  put  a  crimp  in  Jimmy's  theory 
that  his  old  enemy  had  trailed  him  from  Paris. 
He  decided  inwardly  that  he  was  an  idiot  to 
allow  such  "crazy"  ideas  brain  room  and 
promptly  banished  them  from  his  mind. 

It  was  on  Thursday  that  Jimmy  received  the 
letter  from  Voissard  announcing  his  intention 
of  visiting  the  Khaki  Boys'  camp  on  Saturday. 
The  visit  was  destined  not  to  be  paid,  however, 
for  on  Friday  morning  the  detachment  of  the 
509th  Infantry,  to  which  the  five  Brothers  be- 
longed, received  the  longed-for  order  to  move 
on. 

The  selected  men  of  the  509th  Infantry  were 
to  accompany  part  of  another  American  regi- 
ment, longer  in  training  than  themselves,  on 
this  new  move  toward  the  front.  None  knew 
whether  the  order  meant  a  brief  interval  of  rest 
in  a  village  near  the  fighting  lines  or  if  their 
journey  would  lead  them  straight  to  the 
trenches.  The  men  of  the  509th  were  hopeful 
that  this  last  would  be  their  lot.  They  were 
intensely  eager  to  "get  a  whack"  at  the 
Boches.  As  Bob  soulfully  remarked:  "There 
aren't  any  cold  feet  in  the  little  old  509th." 

There  was  only  one  drawback  to  the  five 


42  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Brothers '  satisfaction.  How  were  they  to  send 
quick  word  to  Voissard  and  the  Twinkle  Twins 
of  this  new  turn  in  their  affairs? 

In  desperation  Jimmy  finally  sought  Major 
Steadman,  his  commanding  officer,  and  laid  the 
matter  before  him.  Fortunately  for  all  con- 
cerned the  major  chanced  to  be  well  acquainted 
with  the  aviator.  Not  only  did  he  show  evident 
interest  in  Jimmy's  story  of  how  he  and  his 
bunkies  happened  to  be  acquainted  with  Cousin 
Emile.  He  very  kindly  volunteered  to  take  the 
responsibility  on  himself  of  sending  the  aviator 
a  personal  dispatch.  Thus  it  was  arranged,  but 
five  Sammies  were  deeply  disappointed  over  the 
sudden  collapse  of  the  ''Flying  Terror's"  pro- 
posed visit. 

Friday  afternoon  saw  the  selected  detach- 
ments marching  to  the  station  to  entrain,  look- 
ing not  unlike  a  herd  of  overloaded  young  cam- 
els. Hiking  about  Camp  Marvin  under  "full 
pack"  was  easy  compared  to  the  amount  of 
equipment  with  which  the  Khaki  Boys  were  now 
loaded  down.  Each  Sammy  fairly  bristled  with 
the  paraphrenalia  of  war. 

Everything  needful  for  trench  life  was  at- 
tached to  some  part  of  his  person.  All  the 
worldly  goods  bestowed  upon  him  by  the  Army, 
he  now  carried  with  him,  together  with  as  many 
of  his  own  personal  possessions  as  he  could 
make  room  for  and  bear  the  weight  of.  Un- 
doubtedly  few   of  these   last   treasured   gifts 


THE  UNFORESEEN  43 

would  go  with  him  to  the  trenches.  They  would 
have  to  be  reluctantly  cast  aside  or  given  away, 
leaving  him  with  only  the  absolutely  necessary 
articles  and  equipment  provided  by  the  Gov- 
ernment. 

Burdened  as  they  were,  it  was  a  thrilling 
moment  for  the  Khaki  Boys  when  late  on  Fri- 
day afternoon  the  bugles  called  them  to  As- 
sembly in  front  of  barracks.  All  day  they  had 
been  impatiently  waiting  for  the  order.  Every 
young  face  glowed  with  patriotic  fire  as  they 
obeyed  the  call,  "Fall  in,"  and  were  marched, 
company  after  company  to  the  station,  there 
to  entrain  for  the  front. 

All  along  the  way  they  were  cheered  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  village  who  had  come  out  to 
catch  a  farewell  view  of  the  gallant  Sammies 
and  send  them  into  the  fight  with  warm-hearted 
expressions  of  their  good  will.  Many  a  French 
mother  breathed  a  prayer  and  made  the  sign 
of  the  cross  as  she  saw  these  sturdy  youngsters 
taking  the  same  stretch  of  the  Glory  Road  over 
which  had  passed  a  beloved  son  or  sons  of  her 
own,  never  to  return. 

Arrived  at  the  station  our  Khaki  Boys  were 
marshaled  with  the  rest  into  the  waiting  "48 
Men,  Eight  horses,"  which  had  been  used  to 
convey  so  many  Allied  soldiers  to  the  fighting 
district.  Entering  "these  cheerless  and  highly 
uncomfortable  box-cars,  they  were  leaving  be- 
hind them  the  comparative  ease  and  safety  they 


44  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

had  enjoyed  since  landing  in  France.  From 
now  on  the  Glory  Road  would  mean  a  succes- 
sion of  trials  and  hardships,  with  death  always 
lurking  in  the  foreground. 

Every  mile  the  train  ran  meant  a  nearer  ap- 
proach to  the  goal  for  which  they  had  so  long 
striven.  At  last  they  were  on  the  way  to  strike 
their  first  definite  blow  in  the  big  war. 


CHAPTER  VII 


AT    HOME 


£Qr  J!  iHIS  is  certainly  some  ride,"  grumbled 
Corporal  Bob  Dalton  to  Sergeant 
■*"  Jimmy  Blaise.  "I've  had  enough  of 
old  Eight  Horses  and  goodness  knows  how 
many  men  to  last  me  for  a  while.  There  are 
supposedly  forty-eight  Sammies  in  this  band- 
box. I  should  say  there  were  nearer  ten  thou- 
sand. I'd  have  sure  croaked  standing  up,  if 
you  hadn't  been  along  to  take  the  curse  off. " 

"I'm  glad  we  got  in  the  same  car,  shoe-box 
I  mean. ' ' 

Sergeant  Jimmy's  voice  sounded  decidedly 
weary.  Luckily  for  himself  and  Bob,  they  had 
been  assigned  to  the  same  car,  Bob  being  cor- 
poral of  a  squad  in  Jimmy's  platoon.  Roger, 
Schnitzel  and  Ignace  were  scattered  somewhere 
through  the  train,  though  neither  Bob  nor 
Jimmy  knew  which  car  their  bunkies  were  in. 

"Well,  it'll  soon  be  over."  Jimmy  breathed 
a  sigh  of  relief.    "We've  been  two  days  and 

45 


46       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

two  nights  on  the  road.  It's  now  five  o'clock, 
we  ought  to  be  out  of  this  dump  soon.  I  never 
believed  I  could  sleep  standing  up,  but  I  know 
it  now." 

"Here,  too.  I  hope  we  get  a  night's  rest 
stretched  out  before  we  hit  the  trenches,"  was 
Bob 's  wistful  reply. 

"Oh,  we  won't  go  straight  to  the  trenches  in 
this  train.  We  '11  probably  be  in  rest  billets  sev- 
eral days  before  we  're  called  to  take  our  turn. ' ' 

"Wonder  how  the  fellows  like  it,"  mused 
Bob.  "I'll  bet  Iggy's  slept  most  of  the  way. 
Nothing  f  eazes  him  when  he  wants  to  sleep.  He 
could  pound  his  ear  standing  on  his  head." 

Both  Khaki  Boys  snickered  a  little  as  they 
imagined  Ignace  turned  upside  down  and  sleep- 
ing peacefully,  nevertheless. 

"It  seems  a  long  while  since  we  left  Sterling, 
doesn't  it?" 

Jimmy  broke  the  silence  that  had  fallen  upon 
both,  succeeding  Bob's  humorous  remark  con- 
cerning his  Polish  Brother. 

"It  certainly  does.  I  had  a  funny  standing- 
up  nightmare  about  old  Sterling  last  night." 
Bob  grinned  reminiscently.  "I'd  braced  my 
back  against  the  wall  of  this  box  and  was  tak- 
ing forty  winks.  I'd  been  thinking  about  that 
Bixton  affair  and  old  Schnitz,  and  I  dreamed 
that  good  old  Major  Stearns  was  a  Boche  spy, 
and  that  he  was  trying  to  finish  me  with  a  bay- 
onet.   He  'd  just  given  me  an  awful  punch  in  the 


'AT  HOME"  47 


chest  and  I  was  yelling:  *  What's  eating  you, 
you  rough  neck ! ' 

' '  The  sound  of  my  own  voice  woke  me  up,  and 
I  found  that  a  man  next  to  me  had  hauled  off 
and  hinged  me  one  in  his  sleep.  It  was  a  joke, 
and  we  both  laughed  after  we  got  wise  to  our- 
selves.   Wonder  you  didn't  hear  me  yowl." 

"I've  heard  so  many  different  kinds  of  yowls 
since  I  landed  in  this  jug  that  I'm  used  to  'em. 
Well,  it's  a  great  life  if  you  don't  weaken." 

Jimmy  yawned  and,  reaching  for  his  water 
bottle,  took  a  long  drink. 

"Hope  we  stop  somewhere  soon,"  he  ob- 
served. "I've  emptied  this  bottle,  and  I'm  still 
thirsty. ' ' 

Shortly  afterward  his  wish  for  a  speedy  de- 
trainment  was  granted.  A  series  of  jolts,  which 
caused  the  imprisoned  Sammies  to  behave  like 
nine-pins,  except  that  they  had  not  sufficient 
space  to  topple  over,  and  the  famous  "Eight 
Horses"  came  at  last  to  a  full  stop. 

Freed  at  last,  the  Khaki  Boys  gladly  hustled 
from  the  ungracious  box-cars  to  the  platform  of 
a  village  station,  dotted  as  usual  with  the 
friendly  French  folk,  whom  the  Khaki  Boys  had 
noticed  were  always  in  evidence  wherever  they 
went. 

The  two  detachments  of  Uncle  Sam's  boys 
had  hardly  left  the  train,  however,  before  they 
discovered  that  for  once  they  were  not  the  cen- 
ter of  attraction.    Waiting  on  the  platform  to 


48       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

enter  the  train  they  had  just  left  was  a  company 
of  slightly  wounded  French  soldiers  returning 
from  active  service  on  the  firing  line. 

Though  these  men  were  still  able  to  walk,  they 
presented  a  pitiful  sight.  With  arms  or  heads 
bound  up  in  blood-stained  bandages,  their  faces 
wan  and  racked  by  pain,  they  brought  home  to 
the  full  the  grim  horror  of  the  trenches.  Yet 
nearly  every  face  wore  an  attempt  at  a  smile. 
Bandaged  heads  made  gay  attempts  at  nodding 
to  the  villagers  who  were  worshiping  at  their 
shrine  in  true  French  fashion. 

One  man  whose  arms  were  both  bound  up, 
blood  trickling  from  his  face,  bent  painfully 
down  to  speak  to  a  little  boy  who  was  shouting 
lustily,  "Vive  la  France/'  and  waving  a  little 
French  flag  at  the  wrecked  heroes. 

"Watching  the  little  scene  in  fascinated  hor- 
ror, it  occurred  briefly  to  Jimmy  that  for  fight- 
ers these  men  were  a  curious-looking  lot.  Ac- 
customed to  the  olive  drab  uniform  and  the 
usually  clean-shaven  face  of  the  Sammy,  these 
whiskered  poilus  with  their  red  trousers  and 
long  blue  coats  pinned  back  from  the  front 
seemed  strangely  unlike  soldiers.  Their  ban- 
daged heads  and  arms,  and  scratched,  bleeding 
faces  told  quite  a  different  story,  however. 
They  had  known  what  it  was  to  be  under  fire. 
They  had  done  their  bit  for  France. 

Ardent  as  was  the  admiration  shown  for 
these  wounded  soldiers,  the  Khaki  Boys  were 


'AT  HOME"  49 


not  slighted.  As  they  formed  into  platoons  and 
marched  away  from  the  station,  they  were 
wildly  applauded  by  the  gathered  throng,  part 
of  which  followed  along  after  them. 

As  they  tramped  along  through  the  narrow 
streets  to  headquarters,  their  progress  was  ac- 
companied by  a  new  sound — a  steady,  heavy 
rumble  that  went  on  ceaselessly.  They  had  now 
come  within  the  thunder  of  the  big  guns.  Off  to 
the  east  of  the  village  the  fight  against  an  un- 
worthy foe  was  raging.  With  every  heavy  de- 
tonation, war  was  taking  its  toll  of  lives. 

Under  his  breath,  Jimmy  found  himself  re- 
peating : 

"At  the  front  brave  men  are  falling, 
Now's  your  time  to  do  and  dare!" 

He  wondered  if  the  man  who,  far  back  in 
peaceful  America,  had  composed  the  words  of 
the  "Glory  Eoad"  song  could  possibly  realize 
the  meaning  of  his  own  song. 

A  march  of  a  little  over  a  mile  through  the 
village,  and  the  long  lines  of  soldier  boys  had 
reached  headquarters.  Here  began  the  work 
of  assigning  them  to  temporary  quarters.  With 
night  approaching  it  was  necessary  to  put  the 
men  in  lodgings  with  all  possible  despatch. 

"Lodgings' '  for  fighting  men  nearing  the 
front  consist  of  anything  from  the  odd,  not 
over-clean  French  farmhouses  to  stables  and 


50       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


barns.  The  best  horses  naturally  fall  to  the 
officers;  with  the  enlisted  men  it  is  a  case  of 
Hobson's  choice. 

Jnst  as  the  first  stars  of  evening  began  to  ap- 
pear in  the  clear,  wintry  sky,  Jimmy  Blaise 
marched  his  command  into  a  stable.  Ten  min- 
utes later  he  had  begged  the  back  cover  of  a 
note-book  from  Corporal  Bob  Dalton,  and 
printed  on  it  in  large  black  letters : 

AT  HOME 
SERGEANT  BLAISE 

AND 
THIRTY-TWO  MEN 

Sergeant  Jimmy  Blazes  was  "at  home"  to  all 
comers. 


CHAPTER  VIH 

A   BOCHE   TESTIMONIAL 

IT  was  after  eight  o'clock  that  night  when 
Jimmy's  detachment  finished  a  supper  of 
the  inevitable  bully  beef  and  biscuit, 
washed  down  with  coffee  furnished  them  by  the 
kindly  French  woman  to  whom  the  stable  be- 
longed, and  whose  farmhouse  was  situated  only 
a  short  distance  from  it. 

Worn  out  by  two-days '  sojourn  in  the  narrow 
confines  of  "Eight  Horses,"  both  Bob  and 
Jimmy  were  only  too  glad  to  resign  themselves 
to  the  doubtful  comfort  of  the  straw-strewn 
stable  floor. 

It  proved  to  be  a  restless  night  for  all  con- 
cerned. "Sergeant  Blaise  and  Thirty-Two 
Men"  had  their  first  unpleasant  experience 
with  the  "cooties,"  a  baleful  gray  vermin  that 
has  been  the  perpetual  bane  of  the  soldier  in 
France  since  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

Later,  when  trench  life  had  taught  the  Khaki 
Boys  to  accustom  themselves  to  "most  any  old 

Si 


52  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

thing,"  the  ever-present  "cootie"  became  insig- 
nificant when  compared  to  other  trials  they 
were  called  npon  to  endure.  That  first  night, 
however,  was  one  of  such  itching  horror  as  they 
were  not  likely  to  forget  in  a  hurry. 

In  spite  of  this  new  trial  they  managed  to 
snatch  a  little  sleep,  though  Jimmy  stoutly  de- 
clared his  intention  of  rolling  up  in  his  poncho 
and  sleeping  outdoors  thereafter. 

Obliged  to  depend  upon  the  rations  pre- 
viously issued  them  for  breakfast  the  next 
morning,  Jimmy  rebelled  and  made  a  quick  hike 
up  to  the  farmhouse,  returning  with  the  glow- 
ing information  that  "Madame"  was  quite  will- 
ing to  furnish  breakfast  to  such  as  desired  to 
partake  of  her  hospitality.  Her  charges  for 
the  same  were  low,  and  the  majority  of  the  men 
were  very  willing  to  pay  them.  In  consequence, 
Sergeant  Blaise's  little  flock  feasted  on  bacon, 
eggs,  white  bread,  and  preserves. 

Breakfast  finished,  a  hasty  going  over  of 
equipment  ensued,  and  Jimmy  marched  his  men 
to  a  not  far  distant  field  for  inspection,  where 
they  had  been  ordered  to  report  and  parade. 
Here  they  found  the  rest  of  their  own  detach- 
ment. Inspection  over,  the  entire  unit  put  in 
the  morning  in  drill,  with  three  ten-minute  in- 
termissions for  rest,  during  which  the  newly 
arrived  Sammies  had  a  chance  to  compare 
notes. 

The  first  of  these  intermissions  saw  the  five 


A  BOCHE  TESTIMONIAL 53 

Brothers  engaged  in  a  zealous  hunt  for  one  an- 
other. Together,  Bob  and  Jimmy  made  speedy 
effort  to  locate  their  bunkies,  managing  to  pick 
them  up  just  as  the  command  came  to  "Fall 
in." 

"Meet  us  here,  next  break,"  called  Bob  over 
his  shoulder,  as  he  ran  back  to  his  squad. 

At  the  next  order  of  "Fall  Out,"  the  five 
made  prompt  rush  for  the  spot  which  Bob  had 
designated. 

"Well!"  exclaimed  Roger,  as  they  grouped 
themselves  eagerly  together.  "Where  did  you 
fellows  get  off  at?" 

"In  a  stable,"  was  Jimmy's  disgusted  an- 
swer. "It's  not  far  from  here.  Our  'at  home' 
sign's  out." 

"Come  and  see  us.  You'll  love  the  place.  I 
hate  to  think  of  leaving  it,"  grimaced  Bob. 

"I'm  in  the  same  boat.  I  mean  the  same 
sweet  kind  of  a  billet, ' '  grinned  Roger.  ' '  A  nice 
hard  floor,  straw,  lots  of  'cooties,'  and  all  the 
comforts  of  a  cow  barn.  Schnitz  lives  in  a 
house  that  nobody  else  but  Sammies  wanted. 
The  folks  moved  away  before  the  French  Revo- 
lution came  off  and  took  the  furniture  along." 

"Nothing  left  but  dust  and  rats,"  supple- 
mented Schnitzel.  "We  haven't  found  any  live 
stock  yet.    That's  something  to  brag  of." 

' '  Iggy  is  the  lucky  guy.  He 's  in  a  real  house 
with  real  people,  real  eats,  and  real  beds  to 
sleep  in.    He  and  his  squad  grabbed  a  cinch." 


54  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"I  don't  like,"  objected  Ignace  mournfully. 
"My  Brothar  sleep  in  stable,  so  would  I  there 
be." 

"Can  the  sob  stuff,  Iggy,"  railed  Bob,  though 
his  black  eyes  were  very  kind.  "Never  mind 
about  us.    Be  glad  you  landed  soft. " 

"I  am  no  the  pig,"  asserted  Ignace  with  lofty 
dignity. 

"Sure  you  aren't.  If  you  were  you  couldn't 
camp  in  that  nice  billet.  You  'd  land  in  a  pig  sty, 
and  that  would  be  worse  than  a  cow  barn. ' ' 

Bob  winked  drolly  at  Roger. 

"Where '11  we  meet  after  drill?"  broke  in 
Jimmy.  "We'll  have  to  decide  right  off  the 
bat.    Our  time's  almost  up." 

"Eight  here,"  suggested  Schnitzel.  "We'll 
probably  break  ranks  and  be  dismissed  here  on 
account  of  being  scattered  all  over  the  village." 

"I  wonder  if  we  are  going  to  have  regular 
mess  kitchens  set  up.  Don't  believe  we  will, 
though.  I  guess  it's  cook- wagons  for  ours  or 
buy  our  own  grub  if  we  want  variety.  I  have 
an  idea  we  're  going  to  move  on  soon. ' ' 

"I  hope  so,"  Bob  said  fervently.  "These 
Frenchies  are  very  decent  about  not  soaking  a 
fellow  for  his  grub.  They'd  give  it  to  you  if 
you'd  let  'em.  Even  so,  pay-day's  a  long  way 
off,  and  Bobby's  no  millionaire.  I  like  to  pay 
as  I  go.  These  people  can't  afford  to  treat 
after  all  they've  been  through.  A  franc  in  it- 
self isn't  much,  but  when  it's  a  franc  here,  and 


A  BOCHE  TESTIMONIAL  55 


two  francs  there,  it  counts  up  like  the  mis- 
chief.'? 

"Wait  till  I  hear  from  home  and  we'll  have 
money  to  burn,"  declared  generous  Jimmy.  "I 
had  the  nerve  to  ask  Dad  for  five  hundred.  I'll 
bet  I  get  it,  too. ' ' 

"Keep  the  change,"  laughed  Roger.  "Your 
money's  no  good  with  us.  We  spends  our  own 
and  goes  broke.  Blime  if  we  gets  so  low  as  to 
sponge  off  a  pal!" 

Roger  imitated  to  perfection  the  tone  of  a 
Tommy.  The  Khaki  Boys  had,  by  this  time, 
come  to  know  and  like  many  of  England's 
sturdy,  fighting  Tommies. 

Command  to  again  "Fall  In"  broke  up  the 
brief  reunion.  Drill  ending  at  noon,  the  Sam- 
mies were  given  the  rest  of  the  day  for  their 
own  until  Retreat,  which  was  scheduled  to  take 
place  on  the  impromptu  parade  ground  at  the 
usual  hour. 

Left  to  themselves,  the  five  Brothers  gathered 
briefly  together  after  dismissal.  Agreeing  to 
meet  again  at  the  same  place  half  an  hour  later, 
they  set  off  for  their  billets  to  put  away  their 
rifles. 

Meeting  again  promptly  at  the  appointed 
time,  they  started  out  to  find  some  place  where 
they  might  obtain  a  substantial  dinner.  This 
was  rather  hard  to  find,  as  almost  every  house 
in  the  village  had  its  quota  of  transient  Sam- 
mies to  care  for.    By  dint  of  inquiry  they  finally 


56      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

located  a  quaint  little  inn,  and  entered  it  to  find 
it  overflowing  with  men  of  their  own  detach- 
ment who  had  also  been  seeking  a  place  to  eat 
real  food,  regardless  of  expense. 

After  standing  about  waiting  for  a  time,  they 
at  last  managed  to  grab  a  table,  and  were  pres- 
ently served  with  a  savory  meal,  cooked  in  true 
French  fashion. 

Dinner  over,  they  left  the  inn  and  wandered 
about  the  village  with  its  quaint  gray  stone 
houses  and  winding  streets.  Close  examination 
of  it  showed  that  it  had  not  escaped  the  enemy's 
spite.  Here  and  there  the  ruins  of  a  house  or 
a  deep  furrow  in  the  ground  showed  the  effects 
of  Boche  gun  or  bomb  work. 

The  inhabitants  were  a  simple,  friendly  lot 
who  treated  them  to  smiling  looks  and  bobbing 
little  bows  of  admiration  and  respect.  The 
heart  of  France  beats  warmly  for  Uncle  Sam's 
Boys.  Her  people  look  upon  them  as  the  savior 
of  the  Allied  cause,  come  in  the  hour  of  need. 

Deciding  to  put  off  writing  letters  to  the  home 
folks  until  the  next  day,  the  five  Khaki  Boys 
spent  their  entire  afternoon  in  wandering  aim- 
lessly about,  seeing  something  of  interest,  no 
matter  in  which  direction  they  walked. 

One  sight  in  particular  filled  them  with  right- 
eous wrath.  Traversing  one  of  the  smaller 
streets,  they  encountered  an  apple-cheeked 
French  woman  and  a  boy  of  about  ten  years. 
To  their  united  horror  they  instantly  noticed 


A  BOCHE  TESTIMONIAL 57 

that  the  child's  arms  had  been  lopped  off  just 
below  the  elbow. 

"Great  Heavens!  Look  at  that!"  muttered 
Bob,  as  the  two  drew  nearer.  "Speak  to  her, 
Blaise.    Ask  her  if  that's  Boche  butchery. " 

"Bon  jour,  Madame."  Jimmy's  hand  went 
to  his  helmet. 

Since  coming  to  the  village,  the  Khaki  Boys 
had  been  ordered  to  replace  their  campaign 
hats  with  the  bullet-proof  helmets,  which  the 
soldier  must  wear  constantly  as  he  approaches 
nearer  to  the  firing  lines. 

"Is  this  your  son?"  he  inquired  in  French. 

His  gray  eyes  were  dark  with  mingled  horror 
and  sympathy,  as  he  indicated  the  pitiful  little 
figure.    "How  did  this  happen  to  him?" 

"But  non,  Monsieur,"  the  woman  replied. 
"He  is  a  Belgian.  Les  Allemands,  this  they  do. 
Father  and  mother,  both  they  kill.  This  poor 
child — Voila,  you  see  for  yourself!  He  was 
brought  to  me  thus.  Now  I  have  taken  him  for 
my  own.  Three  sons  I  once  had.  All  died  at 
Ypres  and  for  France." 

In  the  face  of  this  tragic  recital,  the  five 
Khaki  Boys  stood  silent.  Instantly  every  hel- 
met was  doffed  to  this  grand  figure  of  woman- 
hood. There  were  no  signs  of  tears  in  her 
bright  black  eyes  as  she  spoke,  only  a  fleeting 
expression  of  intense  suffering,  which  merged 
instantly  into  a  look  of  intense  pride,  as  she 
mentioned  the  loss  of  her  sons. 


58  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


"Ask  her,  Blazes,  if  she'll  allow  us  to  make 
the  poor  kiddie  a  present,"  ordered  Roger,  a 
trifle  unsteadily. 

The  woman  flushed,  then  smiled,  showing  two 
rows  of  strong,  white  teeth. 

"It  is  not  necessary,  Monsieur,"  she  re- 
turned. "Still,  if  les  Americains  of  the  great 
heart  please — I  am  very  poor." 

"Cough  up  a  dollar  or  two  apiece,  quick,"  or- 
dered Bob,  who  had  "understood  the  reply.  His 
recent  complaint  regarding  far-off  pay-day  was 
now  forgotten. 

Each  Sammy's  hand  went  instantly  to  his 
money  belt. 

"This  is  your  donation  party,  Rodge. " 
Jimmy  handed  a  two-dollar  note  to  Roger.  Ig- 
nace,  Schnitzel  and  Bob  handed  him  a  like 
amount. 

Adding  his  own  offering,  Roger  tendered  it 
to  the  woman,  who  thanked  them  with  a  pretty 
courtesy  that  quite  won  their  hearts. 

"Can  such  things  be?"  was  Bob's  savage 
question  as  they  strolled  on.  "It's  bad  enough 
to  read  about  'em,  but  when  you  meet  'em  face 
to  face!  Ugh!  Lead  me  to  the  trenches,  and 
do  it  quick!" 


CHAPTER  IX 


ON   THE   MARCH 


JIMMY'S  prediction  that  they  were  likely  to 
move  on  soon  was  speedily  verified.  The 
very  next  morning  at  Assembly  the  men 
were  ordered  to  report  on  the  parade  ground 
at  noon  under  full  pack.  An  hour's  drill  and 
they  were  dismissed  in  order  to  allow  them  to 
make  final  preparations  before  starting  on  their 
march  to  the  front. 

Though  they  had  had  hardly  time  to  explore 
the  little  village  or  make  the  acquaintance  of 
its  inhabitants,  the  entire  population  turned  out 
to  see  them  off.  French  matrons  and  pretty 
young  girls  fluttered  their  handkerchiefs  at  the 
marching  columns  of  Sammies,  just  as  the 
American  mothers,  wives  and  sisters  did  when 
the  trains  pulled  out  of  the  home  towns  bear- 
ing Uncle  Sam's  Boys  away  to  the  training 
camps. 

With  the  backbone  of  winter  broken,  the  day 
was  clear  and  fair.     The  sun  shone  brightly 

59 


60       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

down  in  inspiriting  fashion.  There  was  but  one 
drawback — the  ever-present  mud.  A  recent 
spell  of  wet  weather  had  made  of  the  roads  an 
unending  succession  of  small  pools  of  water,  in- 
terspersed with  little  stretches  of  sticky,  cling- 
ing mire,  into  which  the  soldiers'  feet  sank, 
ankle  deep. 

Long  before  the  afternoon  merged  into  sun- 
set, the  Khaki  Boys  had  begun  to  feel  the  ef- 
fects of  that  strenuous  march.  Their  heavy, 
hob-nailed  trench  shoes,  made  heavier  by  con- 
stant contact  with  the  mud,  blistered  their  feet 
and  caused  them  acute  suffering.  Yet  they  sang 
home  songs,  and  joked  with  one  another  as  they 
plodded  along,  unmindful  of  their  discomfort. 
Not  a  man  hung  back  or  gave  up.  Neither  did 
the  fact  trouble  them  that  every  step  they  took 
was  bringing  them  nearer  to  the  big  guns,  the 
booming  of  which  was  ever  in  their  ears. 

For  each  hour  on  the  road  they  were  allowed 
a  ten-minutes'  halt,  in  which  to  nurse  their 
swollen  feet,  and  rest  their  weary  backs,  aching 
from  the  heavy  packs.  Though  the  majority 
did  not  know  of  how  long  duration  the  hike 
would  be,  a  few  knew  that  their  difficult  march 
would  end  in  a  partially  ruined  village,  just  out 
of  range  of  the  German  guns.  There  they 
would  be  billeted  until  the  order  came  to  take 
their  first  turn  in  the  trenches. 

It  was  after  eight  o  'clock  in  the  evening  when 
a  foot-sore,  mud-spattered  company  of  young 


ON  THE  MARCH  61 


defenders  tramped  wearily  along  the  principal 
thoroughfare  of  the  French  hamlet.  That  thor- 
oughfare was  nothing  more  than  a  very  muddy 
road.  On  each  side  of  it  stood  the  shattered 
remnants  of  what  had  once  been  the  homes  of 
the  unfortunate  inhabitants  whose  quaint  little 
cottages  had  been  demolished  by  the  enemy's 
guns.  Less  than  half  the  houses  in  the  village 
still  remained  intact.  So  near  to  the  firing  lines, 
they  had  not  been  able  to  avert  the  dire  mis- 
fortunes of  war. 

Continuing  on  through  the  village,  they  were 
finally  halted  in  a  large  meadow  on  its  out- 
skirts. Here  the  work  of  erecting  shelter  or* 
"pup"  tents  began,  in  which  they  would  sleep 
that  night.  The  cook  wagons,  too,  immediately 
went  into  action,  and  the  way-worn  travelers 
were  presently  given  the  comfort  of  a  hot  sup- 
per before  turning  in  for  a  night's  sleep. 

Rolled  up  in  their  ponchos,  the  Khaki  Boys 
slept  as  soundly  that  night  as  though  back  in 
the  home  barracks  they  had  so  long  ago  left 
behind  them.  A  hot  breakfast  the  next  morn- 
ing and  they  were  again  in  good  trim  for  the 
eventful  hike  that  would  bring  them  to  the  firing 
line. 

Save  for  an  hour's  limbering-up  drill,  the 
day  was  theirs  to  roam  at  will  about  their  new 
environment.  Not  until  the  dusk  of  evening  had 
settled  down  upon  the  landscape  would  they 
start  again  on  the  last  lap  of  their  journey. 


62  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Immediately  after  drill,  the  five  Brothers  got 
together  and  went  on  a  roving  tour  about  the 
partially  wrecked  village.  By  daylight  they 
found  it  teeming  with  life.  It  seemed  princi- 
pally peopled,  however,  with  old  women  and 
children,  although  they  encountered  a  goodly 
number  of  French  soldiers  resting  in  billets 
from  trench  duty. 

Here  and  there  they  saw  small  inns,  largely 
patronized  by  the  French  poilus.  Entering  one 
of  them  out  of  curiosity,  they  were  rather  dis- 
appointed to  discover  that  they  could  obtain 
little  there  in  the  way  of  refreshment  other  than 
brown  bread,  cheese  and  French  wines,  the  lat- 
ter in  which  none  of  them  ever  indulged. 

i 'For  a  place  that's  been  all  shot  to  pieces  by 
Boche  Kultur,  I  must  say  it's  a  mighty  prosy 
old  burg,"  was  Bob's  opinion. 

The  quintette  had  repaired  to  their  im- 
promptu camp  for  dinner,  and  afterward 
started  out  again  in  the  hope  of  finding  some- 
thing really  exciting.  They  had  been  roaming 
about  for  over  an  hour  since  dinner,  and  had, 
thus  far,  met  with  no  startling  adventures. 

Bob's  remark  arose  from  the  fact  that  they 
had  just  passed  a  schoolhouse,  through  the 
opened  windows  of  which  came  the  high,  shrill 
voices  of  children,  placidly  reciting  their  les- 
sons. 

" Funny,  isn't  it,  that  those  kids  can  settle 
down  to  school  with  the  noise  of  the  guns  going 


ON  THE  MARCH 63 

on  all  the  time?"  mused  Roger.    " You'd  think 
they'd  be  scared  out  of  their  baby  wits." 

''They're  just  like  all  the  rest  of  these  good 
sports  of  Frenchies.  They've  grown  so  used 
to  it  they  don't  blink  an  eyelash  now,"  declared 
Schnitzel.  ''Wish  I'd  been  born  a  Frenchman 
instead  of  a  G.  A.  The  A's  all  right,  but  not 
the  G." 

"Well,  you  got  the  G.  out  of  your  system 
when  you  enlisted, ' '  consoled  Bob.  ' '  You  've  no 
kick  coming." 

"Thank  goodness  I  did,"  was  Schnitzel's  fer- 
vent response.  "I'd  hate  to  feel  that  I  had  a 
single  tie  that  bound  me  to  these  cursed,  butch- 
ering Boches.  If  some  of  the  Germans  in  the 
U.  S.  could  really  be  made  to  believe  what  we  've 
seen  with  our  own  eves,  it  would  give  'em  a 
jolt" 

"They  don't  want  to  believe,"  Bob  cried  out 
scornfully.  "But  wait  awhile.  If  some  Ger- 
man-American father  whose  son  got  in  the  draft 
and  was  sent  over  here  gets  word  that  his  boy 
has  been  crucified  or  tortured  by  a  delegation 
of  Fatherland  friends,  he'll  wake  up  in  a 
hurry. ' ' 

"Yes,"  nodded  Schnitzel,  "when  the  chick- 
ens begin  to  come  home  to  roost,  it's  going  to 
make  some  difference  in  the  way  these  German 
fanatics  at  home  feel  about  this  war." 

Greeted  on  every  side  by  evidence  of  havoc 
and  devastation  wrought  by  the  enemy,  the  talk 


64      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

of  the  strollers  remained  centered  on  the  war. 
In  the  home  camps  and  on  shipboard  they  had 
discussed  it  but  little,  preferring  to  keep  it  in 
the  background.  Now  they  were  so  near  to  the 
great  conflict  it  could  no  longer  be  ignored.  It 
had  become  the  one  vital  topic  of  conversation. 

" Let's  go  into  that  wreck  and  see  what  it 
looks  like  inside,"  proposed  Roger  at  last. 

Proceeding  in  an  opposite  direction  from 
their  camp,  they  had  walked  the  breadth  of  the 
village,  and  were  well  toward  the  open  coun- 
try. Standing  by  itself  in  a  field,  the  broken 
stone  walls  of  a  shelled  cottage  had  attracted 
Roger's  attention. 

"I'll  go  you,"  was  Bob's  ready  response. 

"I'm  game,"  agreed  Jimmy. 

"So  would  I  it  to  see,"  assented  Ignace. 
"Yet  think  I  there  is  no  mooch  by  it,  only  the 
many  stone  and  mooch  roobish. ' ' 

Circling  the  wrecked  cottage  for  a  place  by 
which  to  enter  it  with  the  least  effort,  the  ex- 
plorers climbed  over  a  heap  of  debris,  which 
partially  blocked  a  doorless  aperture  at  the 
rear,  and  gained  the  interior. 

Once  inside  they  saw  nothing  more  remark- 
able than  ragged  heaps  of  stone,  splintered 
beams,  and  the  broken  remnants  of  household 
furniture.  The  only  part  of  the  floor  still  in- 
tact was  the  narrow  strip  on  which  they  stood. 

"Let's  go.  It's  fierce."  Jimmy  spoke  in 
hoarse,  husky  tones. 


ON  THE  MARCH 65 

Sight  of  that  ruthless  wrecking  of  a  home 
made  him  think  of  his  own  beautiful,  far-away 
home,  where  his  beloved  ' 'folks"  dwelt  in 
safety,  immune  from  shot  and  shell. 

"I  guess  we  know  why  we're  here,  when  we 
look  at  this,"  he  continued  tensely.  "If  I  had 
a  thousand  lives  I'd  give  'em  all  to  save  the 
home  folks  from  such  a  thing  ever  happening 
to  'em." 

"Right-o!"  emphasized  Bob. 

Silence  hung  over  the  group  for  an  instant, 
then,  by  mutual  consent,  they  turned  and  left 
behind  •  them  the  frightful  demonstration  of 
"Kultur." 

"Look  who's  here!  He's  mine.  I  saw  him 
first!" 

Emerging  from  the  ruin  a  step  in  advance  of 
his  comrades,  Bob  suddenly  raised  his  voice  in 
a  shout,  and  set  off  on  the  run  across  the  field 
behind  the  cottage. 

Echoing  his  yell,  his  bunkies  tore  after, 
laughing  as  they  went.  Bob's  prize  was  noth- 
ing more  than  a  solemn  white  goat,  meandering 
aimlessly  about  the  brown  field  in  search  of  a 
green  bit  on  which  to  graze. 

"You  old  fake!  I  thought  you'd  lamped 
something  wonderful !  Nothing  but  an  old  Billy 
goat.    Hello,  Bill!    How's  tricks?" 

Jimmy  now  jocularly  addressed  his  goatship. 

"M-a-a-a!"  bleated  Bill  politely. 

"Don't  call  him  Bill,"  objected  Bob.    "Have 


66  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


some  respect  for  his  delicate  feelings.  Yon  can 
see  for  yourself  it  won't  go  down  with  him. 
He's  a  werry  fine  animnle,  and  I'm  going  to 
adopt  him  and  call  him  Gaston.  He 's  a  French 
goat,  hence  the  Francais  handle." 

"  You'd  better  let  him  alone,"  warned  Eoger. 
"He  must  belong  to  somebody  around  here. 
You  know  what '11  happen  to  you  if  you  pinch 
him. ' ' 

"Pinch  him  nothing.  I'm  no  goat-robber," 
was  Bob's  indignant  retort.  "I'm  going  to  do 
the  square  thing  by  Gaston.  See  that  house 
down  the  road?  Well,  I'm  going  to  tie  him  up 
and  lead  him  to  it.  Bobby  has  a  nice  piece  of 
string  in  his  pocket.  I'll  bet  the  folks  down 
there  know  his  history.  If  he's  a  orfln,  then 
Bobby  will  be  his  foster-papa  and  train  Gaston 
to  charge  on  you  fellows  if  you  ever  get  too 
fresh.    Won't  you,  Gaston?" 

Gaston,  it  appeared,  was  already  about  to  get 
busy.  His  first  surprise  at  the  invasion  having 
vanished,  he  lowered  his  head  and  dashed  at  his 
admirers  with  an  energy  that  sent  them  scat- 
tering. 

"He's  got  the  true  war  spirit,"  yelled  Bob. 
1 '  Now  watch  me  tame  him ! ' ' 

Bob  agilely  circled  the  belligerent  Gaston. 
The  goat  had  stopped  after  making  the  charge 
to  reflect  upon  his  next  course  of  action. 
Pouncing  upon  the  surprised  animal,  Bob 
grasped  it  by  the  horns.     To  his  delight,  it 


ON  THE  MARCH  67 


meekly  stood  still,  whereupon  he  relaxed  one 
hand  from  a  horn  and  promptly  fished  a  piece 
of  tough  string  from  his  trousers'  pocket.  An 
instant  later,  Gaston  was  being  led,  an  acquies- 
cent captive,  from  the  field  by  his  beaming  mas- 
ter. Prudence,  however,  warned  Bob's  bunkies 
to  walk  in  Gaston's  rear. 

Duly  arriving  at  the  house  Bob  had  pointed 
out,  he  consigned  his  new  pet  to  Roger's  care, 
and  went  boldly  up  to  the  door  in  quest  of  in- 
formation. 

Watching  him,  his  comrades  saw  him  ushered 
inside  the  house  by  a  pretty  young  French  girl. 

Ten  minutes  later  he  emerged,  grinning  like 
a  Cheshire  cat.  At  his  heels  trooped  two  or 
three  children,  the  girl  and  an  old  man,  all  of 
whom  made  bobbing  little  bows  to  Les  Ameri- 
cains. 

"He's  mine!"  called  out  Bob  jubilantly.  "I 
bought  him  for  two  plunks.  He 's  an  old-timer, 
and  not  very  popular  with  the  family.  He 's  go- 
ing to  billet  here,  though,  while  I'm  in  the 
trenches.  I'm  going  to  pay  for  his  keep  and  be 
a  father  to  him  when  I  'm  not  on  duty.  If  I  get 
plugged  the  first  whack,  then  somebody  else 
can  have  my  goat.  But  as  long  as  Bobby's  in 
good  health,  Gaston's  going  to  have  a  friend. 
Believe  me!" 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   LAST   LAP 

"THOUGH  the  shadow  of  the  trenches  hung 
over  them,  Bob's  latest  acquisition  put 
his  bunkies  in  a  decidedly  lightsome 
mood.  After  bidding  a  pleasant  good-bye  to 
Gaston's  keepers,  and  giving  the  redoubtable 
Gaston  himself  a  fairly  wide  berth,  the  five 
Brothers  wandered  on  through  the  village.  It 
was  not  yet  three  o'clock,  and  they  were  not 
due  back  to  camp  until  four  o'clock. 

Dusk  would  see  them  under  full  pack  again, 
and  ready  to  take  the  road  to  the  firing  line. 
The  advance  guard,  composed  of  military  po- 
lice, were  to  start  at  least  two  hours  ahead  of 
the  main  detachment.  They  would  not  march 
in  a  body,  but  would  straggle  along  by  ones 
and  twos,  lest  some  lurking  enemy  along  the 
road  might  learn  from  their  numbers  that  a 
new  army  was  soon  to  be  on  its  way  to  the  front- 
line trenches. 

"We'd  best  turn  back  to  camp,"  Schnitzel 
68 


THE  LAST  LAP 69 

at  last  suggested.  "It's  twenty  after  three,  and 
we  must  be  almost  a  mile  from  headquarters. 
I  want  to  fix  up  my  pack  before  we  start. ' ' 

The  exploring  party  had  left  their  heavy 
packs  and  equipment  in  charge  of  a  comrade. 
They  carried  on  their  stroll  only  their  haver- 
sacks containing  their  supper  and  breakfast  ra- 
tion, two  thick  sandwiches  apiece. 

Until  dugout  shelters  were  reached  the  next 
morning,  they  would  have  no  more  hot  food. 
Nothing  that  required  cooking  would  be  given 
them  on  this  last  march  except  hot  coffee.  Now, 
so  close  to  the  German  lines,  the  cook  wagons 
would  be  temporarily  closed.  Bits  of  food  or 
sparks  dropped  in  the  road  might  also  serve  to 
inform  the  enemy  that  Uncle  Sam's  Boys  were 
nearing  the  front. 

About  to  retrace  their  steps,  the  five  Khaki 
Boys  were  suddenly  brought  to  a  sudden  stand- 
still by  a  loud  cry  from  Ignace. 

"Look  you!"  he  exclaimed,  pointing  upward. 
"So  is  it  the  fight  by  the  air!" 

Instantly  turning  their  eyes  skyward,  the 
group  saw  high  above  them  an  aeroplane  cut- 
ting wild  circles  in  the  air.  Around  it  little 
puffs  of  white  smoke  were  continually  bursting. 
As  each  puff  burst,  a  peculiar  "plopping"  could 
be  heard,  though  dully. 

The  plane  itself  was  up  too  high  for  the 
watchers  to  tell  much  about  it.  Besides,  they 
were  not  familiar  enough  with  the  various  types 


70      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


of  aeroplanes  used  by  the  Allies  and  the  Huns 
to  be  able  to  distinguish  to  which  side  it  be- 
longed. 

"It  must  be  a  French  or  an  English  plane, 
and  the  Boches  are  peppering  it  with  anti-air- 
craft shells,"  surmised  Bob,  ever  ready  to 
theorize  on  whatever  chanced  to  meet  his  gaze. 

"You're  wrong,  old  man.  It's  a  Boche  plane, 
and  the  Allied  guns  are  after  it."    . 

Schnitzel's  correction  was  uttered  with  a 
quiet  positiveness  that  brought  instant  ques- 
tions of,  "How  do  you  know?"  "Who  put 
you  wise?"  "What  makes  you  so  sure  of 
that?" 

"Oh,  I've  been  finding  out  all  I  could  about 
anti-aircraft  guns,  batteries,  shells  and  all 
that,"  Schnitzel  answered.  "I  worked  in  a  gun 
plant,  you  know,  before  I  enlisted.  I've  told 
you  that.  Machine  guns  were  its  specialty,  but 
I  learned  a  lot  about  other  kinds  of  guns,  too. 
I  put  in  a  request  for  Artillery  when  I  enlisted, 
but  I  landed  in  Infantry  instead.  I  was  pretty 
sore  about  it  at  first,  but  I  soon  got  over  it. 

"Just  the  same,"  he  went  on,  "I've  still  a 
hankering  after  the  big  guns.  I  've  been  asking 
questions  right  and  left  ever  since  we  came 
over.  Back  in  England  at  the  rest  camp  I  met 
a  Tommy  who  'd  been  in  artillery  since  the  war 
began.  He'd  done  his  bit,  and  lost  an  eye,  so 
he  was  back  to  Blighty  for  good.  He  told  me 
a  lot  of  interesting  stuff  about  guns.    He  said 


THE  LAST  LAP 71 

the  Allied  anti-aircraft  shells  showed  white 
smoke  when  they  exploded,  and  the  Boche  anti- 
shells  showed  black.  So  there  you  are.  If  what 
he  said  was  so,  and  I'm  sure  it  was,  that's  an 
Allied  battery  shelling  a  Boche  plane." 

Listening  to  Schnitzel's  explanation,  the  eyes 
of  the  quintette,  nevertheless,  remained  fixed 
on  the  swooping,  circling  black  speck  overhead. 
Not  for  a  moment  did  the  concealed  Allied  bat- 
tery cease  its  attack  on  the  enemy  plane. 

Though  their  necks  began  to  ache  and  their 
eyes  to  smart,  they  could  not  draw  their  fas- 
cinated gaze  from  that  gyrating  black  dot. 
Even  as  they  watched,  it  seemed  to  grow  a  trifle 
larger. 

"It's  coming  down!"  yelled  Jimmy.  "They 
got  it!  Hurray!  I'll  bet  this  plane  was  trying 
to  get  a  line  on  what  was  doing  down  here." 

"It's  dropping,  sure  as  a  gun!"  shouted  Bob. 
"Some  drop!  Oh,  glory,  I  wish  it  would  flop 
right  here!" 

"It's  coming  down,  down,  down,  all  right!" 
sang  out  Roger.  "We  won't  see  it  though. 
It'll  probably  land  miles  from  here,  on  the 
)ther  side  of  those  hills.  That  aviator  didn't 
have  much  show  as  an  observer." 

In  what  seemed  to  them  an  incredibly  short 
time,  the  doomed  plane  had  sped  earthward,  and 
out  of  sight  behind  the  distant  hills  east  of 
them. 

"So  is  it,  some  Boche  get  kill  pretty  quick. 


72  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

He  never  more  do  nothing''  commented  Ignace 
with  grim  satisfaction. 

"Not  so  yon  can  notice  it,"  airily  agreed  Bob. 
"If  he  wasn't  croaked  by  the  anti,  he'd  hit  the 
gronnd  with  a  bnmp  that  wonld  finish  him. 
Well,  show's  over.  We've  seen  a  Boche  plane 
shelled  and  a  Hnn  aviator  downed,  now  let 's  be 
on  our  way.  If  we  never  live  to  see  another 
Fritzie  birdman's  wings  clipped,  we've  seen 
one,  anyhow." 

"We're  going  to  live  to  see  a  whole  lot  more 
welcome  sights  like  that,"  asserted  Jimmy 
sturdily. 

"Glad  to  hear  it,"  grinned  Bob.  "Only  the 
saints  croak  young.  We  have  a  pretty  fair 
show  to  keep  on  going,  according  to  that. ' ' 

Signally  inspirited  at  witnessing  the  defeat 
of  an  enemy  the  five  bunkies  set  off  for  head- 
quarters talking  cheerily  as  they  walked.  There 
they  found  their  comrades  had  already  begun 
to  assemble,  preparatory  to  the  night  march, 
which  would  begin  as  soon  as  sheltering  twi- 
light descended.  Group  after  group  of  soldiers, 
who  had  been  resting  during  the  afternoon,  or 
roaming  about  the  village,  now  reported,  and 
stood  awaiting  the  order  to  "Fall  in." 

As  time  went  on,  conversation  gradually  died 
out  among  the  men.  Earlier  exchange  of  good- 
humored  badinage  ceased,  and  comparative  si- 
lence replaced  it,  broken  only  by  an  occasional 
ow  murmur  of  voices. 


THE  LAST  LAP 73 

With  the  first  signs  of  twilight  the  tension 
began  to  tighten.  A  curious  hush  pervaded  the 
two  detachments,  as  the  heavily  burdened  Sam- 
mies stood  about  and  watched  the  dusk  grow 
and  deepen.  Strangely  enough,  no  distant  rum- 
ble of  artillery  broke  the  spell.  Though  the 
voices  of  the  guns  had  boomed  all  day,  now  they 
were  silent.  It  was  an  hour  which  those  who 
survived  the  struggle  they  were  about  to  enter 
Would  long  remember. 

At  last  it  came ;  the  clarion  notes  of  the  bugle, 
blowing  the  order  "Fall  in."  With  calm,  reso- 
lute faces  each  Khaki  Boy  found  his  place  in 
the  long  double  line. 

The  order  was  passed  along:  "Right  dress — 
right  dress!"  A  shuffling  of  feet,  a  straighten- 
ing of  lines,  and  the  Khaki  Boys  were  ready  for 
the  next  command. 

"Front!" 

Every  pair  of  boyish  eyes  looked  unswerv- 
ingly ahead. 

"Report!" 

Corporal  after  corporal  accounted  for  his 
squad.  There  were  no  laggers  or  deserters  in 
that  heroic  band.  The  time  had  come,  and  the 
Khaki  Boys  were  ready. 

' '  Squads  right — March ! ' ' 

By  rows  of  fours  the  soldier  boys  turned, 
then  in  the  growing  darkness  they  swung  off, 
rifles  on  their  shoulders,  stepping  alertly,  and 
with  the  rhythm  that  long  training  had  given 


74  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

them.  On  every  face  shone  the  qniet  determina- 
tion to  do  well.  Every  man  was  imbued  with 
the  resolve  to  give  good  account  of  himself. 
The  Khaki  Boys  were  out  to  "do  and  dare"  for 
ihe  honor  of  Uncle  Sam  and  his  Allies. 


CHAPTER  XI 

IN   THE   FIRE   TRENCH 

HORTLY  before  midnight,  the  columns  of 
marching  Khaki  Boys  reached,  a  village 
that  lay  practically  in  ruins.  Passing 
through  one  neglected  street  after  another,  the 
company  leading  was  halted  just  at  the  turning 
of  a  street  by  an  English  major,  astride  a  met- 
tlesome horse. 

"Who  is  in  command  of  this  company V 
came  the  sharp  query. 

' '  Captain  Reynolds,  sir. ' ' 

Saluting,  a  steel-helmeted  officer  stepped  for- 
ward. 

"Very  good.  See  that  every  man  in  your 
command  adjusts  his  gas  mask  at  alert.  All 
cigarettes  must  be  thrown  away. ' ' 

A  moment  and  both  orders  had  been  carried 
out. 

"Forward  march  by  platoons,  fifty  feet 
apart,"  was  the  next  order.  "You  will  be  in 
range  of  shrapnel  directly  you  leave  here." 

75 


76  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Obeying  instantly,  the  first  company  passed 
on  in  the  designated  order.  Turning  the  cor- 
ner, it  started  down  a  road  that  led  straight  to 
the  front.  It  was  followed  by  a  second  and  so 
on,  each  company  being  briefly  halted  by  the 
English  major  to  receive  similar  instructions. 

In  silence,  broken  only  by  the  thud  of  tramp- 
ing feet,  the  two  detachments  of  Khaki  Boys 
hiked  steadily  toward  the  trenches.  All  real- 
ized that  at  any  moment  the  German  guns  might 
tune  up.  If  the  two  detachments  reached  the 
front-line  trenches  without  "clicking"  any  cas- 
ualties, they  would  be  lucky,  indeed. 

Perhaps  for  the  time  being  they  bore  charmed 
lives.  More  probably,  however,  the  foe  was  not 
aware  of  their  advent  into  the  trenches.  At  any 
rate,  not  even  a  shrapnel  shell  was  hurled  at 
them  by  the  German  artillery. 

Amid  a  hush  so  deep  that  each  soldier  could 
hear  the  beating  of  his  own  heart,  the  Khaki 
Boys  finally  entered  the  zig-zagging  communi- 
cation trench,  through  which  they  must  pass  to 
reach  the  front-line  trench  where  they  were  to 
receive  their  first  initiation  into  the  hazards  of 
war. 

Now  they  were  no  longer  marching  in  fours. 
In  single  file,  six  paces  apart,  they  plodded 
mutely  along,  their  tired  feet  sinking  deep  into 
the  mud.  In  the  trenches  mud  is  seldom  ab- 
sent. It  scarcely  ever  dries  up  sufficiently  to 
make  walking  easy. 


IN  THE  FIRE  TRENCH 77 

An  hour  from  the  time  of  entering  the 
trenches,  the  Khaki  Boys  had  reached  the  front 
line  of  their  sector,  and  had  taken  up  their  posi- 
tions. Sadly  in  need  of  a  little  rest,  the  ma- 
jority of  the  men  seated  themselves  on  the  fire 
step.  In  the  darkness  a  long  line  of  American 
soldiers  filed  past  them,  on  the  way  to  another 
communication  trench  that  would  lead  them 
away  from  the  firing  and  back  to  billets  behind 
the  lines.  These  were  the  men  whom  the  Khaki 
Boys  had  come  to  relieve. 

In  the  front-line  trench,  however,  a  goodly 
number  of  veteran  Americans  still  remained  to 
receive  the  new  men  and  initiate  them  into  the 
mysteries  of  trench  warfare. 

Trying  to  catch  satisfactory  glimpses  of  the 
shadowy  figures  which  flitted  past  him  in  a  long 
succession,  Jimmy  Blaise  speculated  as  to  how 
long  they  had  been  on  duty.  He  was  amazed 
at  the  number  still  alive  and  apparently  un- 
scathed. Eemembering  that,  thus  far,  all  night 
the  guns  had  been  silent,  he  decided  that  this 
was  the  reason  why  so  many  Sammies  were  left 
to  return  briefly  to  billets.  He  wondered  if  as 
many  more  were  still  left  in  the  trench. 

His  thoughts  turning  to  his  bunldes,  he  won- 
dered what  they  thought  of  it  all.  A  corporal 
in  his  platoon,  he  knew  that  Bob,  at  least,  was 
not  far  away.  In  the  dense  darkness,  however, 
there  was  small  chance  of  locating  him. 

He  wondered,  too,  what  time  it  was.    It  had 


78  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


been  almost  midnight  when  the  marching  men 
had  been  halted  in  the  ruined  village  by  the 
English  major.  It  must  be  after  two  now.  Per- 
haps the  Germans  would  attack  just  before 
dawn.  He  had  heard  that  with  both  sides  this 
was  a  favorite  hour  for  attack.  At  that  hour, 
a  man's  faculties  were  the  least  alert.  He  was 
less  likely  to  give  good  account  of  himself. 

Although  he  was  anything  but  at  home  in  his 
new  environment,  Jimmy  was  relieved  in  that 
he  felt  not  in  the  least  afraid.  He  had  always 
hoped  that  it  would  be  thus.  Yet  he  had  never 
been  quite  sure  of  himself  on  that  point.  He 
had  always  known  that  he  should  never  be 
afraid  in  the  cowardly  sense  of  the  word.  Still, 
he  had  often  pondered  as  to  whether  he  would 
"have  all  his  nerve  with  him"  when  the  event- 
ful front-line  hour  arrived. 

He  was  rather  surprised  to  find  himself  as 
"nervy"  as  ever.  He  almost  wished  that  some- 
thing would  happen  to  break  the  deadly  monot- 
ony around  him.  Most  of  all  he  wished  for  day- 
light to  come,  so  that  he  might  take  stock  of  his 
surroundings  and  perhaps  "bump  into"  his 
bunkies. 

The  night  wore  on  and  nothing  happened. 
With  dawn  came  the  order  "stand  down,"  and 
the  two  veteran  sentries  posted  at  each  traverse 
along  the  line  got  down  off  the  fire  step.  To 
them  had  fallen  the  task  of  standing  there  all 
night,  heads  above  the  top  of  the  trench,  eyes 


IN  THE  FIRE  TRENCH 79 

straining   into   the   darkness    of   "No    Man's 
Land." 

The  passing  of  the  word  "stand  down"  was 
hardly  more  welcome  to  the  tired  sentries  than 
to  the  newly  arrived  Sammies  huddled  along 
the  fire  step.  It  meant  to  the  latter  a  certain 
relaxation  from  duty,  and  a  chance  to  sleep 
until  the  order  "stand  to"  saw  them  back  in 
their  places  on  the  fire  step,  ready  for  whatever 
might  come  to  them. 

Attempting  to  rise  from  the  fire  step,  Jimmy 
discovered  that  every  bone  in  his  body  ached. 
Crouching  in  a  cramped  position  on  a  muddy 
ledge  was  not  conducive  to  great  agility.  Pull- 
ing himself  together,  Sergeant  Jimmy  went 
through  a  series  of  limbering-up  exercises. 
Burdened  by  his  equipment,  which  he  had  not 
been  allowed  to  remove,  he  was  not  very  nimble 
at  first.  Soon  he  felt  his  muscles  growing  more 
flexible  under  the  persistent  treatment  he  gave 
them. 

Very  promptly  he  saw  to  it  that  his  men  went 
through  a  similar  set  of  movements,  which  did 
them  all  good.  To  his  delight,  he  found  Bob 
only  a  few  men  away  from  him.  The  latter 's 
face  looked  rather  wan,  but  his  black  eyes  were 
bright  and  snapping  as  ever. 

"Some  night,"  cheerily  greeted  Bob,  as 
Jimmy  hurried  over  to  him.  "Nothing  like  a 
fire  step  for  solid  comfort — not.  Thought  the 
Fritzies  might  send  over  a  hot  shot  or  two  for 


80       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

a  welcome.  Nothing  doing  in  Dutchyland, 
though. ' ' 

" Don't  worry.  We'll  get  ours  soon  enough. 
Maybe  to-day.  Still,  we  might  be  here  quite  a 
while  before  anything  happened.  The  Boches 
aren't  quite  so  ready  as  they  used  to  be  to  keep 
hammering  the  Allies.  They've  learned  a  few 
lessons  since  this  war  began. 

"Here  comes  our  coffee!"  exclaimed  Bob. 
"I  certainly  am  ready  for  it." 

Glancing  up  the  trench,  he  had  spied  two  men 
coming  down  the  line,  bearing  huge  pots  of  the 
steaming  beverage. 

"The  Tommies  may  have  their  tea  for  break- 
fast, but  coffee  for  Blazes  every  time!" 

Wft^h  this  emphatic  comment,  Jimmy  pro- 
ceeded to  extract  from  his  haversack  the  large 
metal  cup  belonging  to  his  mess  kit.  Along  with 
it  he  brought  out  the  remaining  sandwich  of  the 
two  issued  to  him  on  the  day  previous.  It  was 
to  be  his  breakfast. 

Bob  made  room  for  him  on  the  fire  step,  and 
the  two  settled  themselves  to  await  the  coming 
of  the  coffee  men. 

Very  soon  they  were  hungrily  munching  their 
sandwiches,  and  enjoying  the  strong,  black  cof- 
fee, which  was,  indeed,  welcome.  It  warmed 
them  through  and  through,  and  put  new  life  into 
their  chilled  bodies. 

"I'd  give  a  good  deal  to  see  the  fellows," 
sighed  Jimmy,  as,  his  breakfast  finished,  he 


IN  THE  FIRE  TRENCH 81 

stood  up  and  stretched  himself.  He  was  feel- 
ing decidedly  better,  and  very  wide  awake. 
"Wonder  if  we  dare  go  up  or  down  the  lines 
a  little  way." 

"You're  a  sarge.  You  can  travel  around,  I 
guess,  with  no  come-back.  I  wouldn't  want  to 
risk  it,  though.  This  front-line  business  doesn't 
carry  many  privileges." 

"Even  so,  we  can't  stick  to  the  fire  step  all 
the  time.  We  have  to  sleep  in  the  dugouts,  and 
when  it 's  quiet  we  '11  be  allowed  to  hang  around 
in  them.  It 's  at  night  that  we  '11  have  to  do  most 
of  our  work,  I  suppose." 

"Yes,  I  presume  so.  After  we  get  used  to 
this  trench  system  we'll  know  better  how  to 
manage  our  affairs,"  was  Bob's  sage  opinion. 
"We'll  have  to  ask  these  fellows  who  are  here 
to  help  us  all  about  what  to  do. ' ' 

Breakfast  over  and  quiet  still  continuing,  the 
men  were  ordered  to  the  dugouts  for  rest. 

Earlier  in  the  great  war,  the  heroes  of  Ypres, 
Mons,  the  Marne,  and  of  other  memorable  bat- 
tles, found  trench  life  almost  unendurable. 
Since  then  trench  conditions  have  changed  for 
the  better.  To-day  there  are  plenty  of  dugouts, 
trench  platforms,  and  many  other  conveniences 
which  help  to  make  the  men  on  trench  duty 
vastly  more  comfortable  than  of  old. 

After  seeing  that  his  men  were  made  as  com- 
fortable as  possible,  Jimmy  accompanied  Bob 
to  one  of  the  dugouts,  and  flung  themselves 


82       THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

wearily  down  on  the  narrow  canvas  cots  pro- 
vided for  their  rest.  Just  before  entering  the 
dugout,  however,  both  had  gone  a  little  way  up 
and  down  the  line  in  search  of  their  bunkies. 
Failing  to  find  them,  and  sadly  in  need  of  rest, 
they  had  agreed  to  postpone  the  search  until 
later. 

How  long  they  slept  neither  knew.  Both  were 
awakened  by  a  thunderous  roar  that  threatened 
to  split  their  eardrums. 

Instantly  springing  from  their  cots,  they 
made  a  dash  for  the  dugout's  opening,  along 
with  the  rest  of  the  men  it  contained.  All  knew 
what  had  happened.  The  enemy  had  at  last 
been  heard  from. 

Among  the  first  to  gain  the  trench,  Jimmy 
saw  that  a  portion  of  the  parapet  on  his  right 
had  been  demolished.  It  had  fallen  into  the 
trench  completely  blocking  it.  His  heart  stood 
still  as  he  saw  at  the  edge  of  that  heap  of 
tossed-up  earth  an  olive-drab  arm  moving 
feebly. 

Others  besides  himself  had  now  reached  the 
scene,  among  them  a  veteran  lieutenant  who  or- 
dered a  pick  and  shovel  detail  to  get  busy  at 
once. 

"Back  to  dugouts!"  was  his  sharp  order  to 
the  Sammies  who  had  run  to  the  scene.  "Don't 
expose  yourselves  unnecessarily." 

Jimmy,  however,  was  one  of  the  digging  de- 
tail.   Seizing  a  shovel,  he  began  to  dig  furiously 


IN  THE  FIRE  TRENCH  83 

into  the  soft  earth.  It  yielded  easily.  Careful 
lest  he  strike  the  body  of  the  buried  soldier  with 
the  shovel,  he  soon  had  enough  of  the  smother- 
ing' mud  cleared  away  to  expose  the  man's  head 
and  shoulders. 

First  sight  of  the  victim's  head,  and  Jimmy 
shuddered.  The  face  under  the  helmet  was 
caved  in,  an  unrecognizable,  bloody  pulp. 

* '  Poor  fellow, ' '  Jimmy  muttered.  ' '  He  got  it 
pretty  quick."  He  wondered  who  the  man  was. 
Not  one  of  his  men.  They  had  all  been  in  the 
dugout  when  the  crash  came. 

While  he  continued  at  digging  the  dead  man 
out  of  his  prison,  the  rest  of  the  detail  were 
busy  clearing  the  trench  of  the  piled-up  earth 
that  formed  a  blockade. 

"It  was  a  'Minnie,'  "  one  of  the  veteran  dig- 
gers informed  Jimmy. 

' '  Minnie ' '  means  a  high-power  trench  mortar 
shell,  of  German  invention.  It  is  used  particu- 
larly by  the  Germans  to  demolish  the  Allied 
trenches.  Its  real  name  is  "  Minnenwerf  er. " 
It  is  especially  deadly,  as  it  makes  no  noise  com- 
ing through  the  air.  The  English  soldier  is  re- 
sponsible for  giving  it  the  name  "Minnie." 

"Funny  they  don't  follow  it  up  with  some 
more,"  Jmmy  observed  to  the  man,  as  the  lat- 
ter stolidly  wielded  a  pick. 

Hardly  had  he  spoken  when  a  hail  of  bullets 
set  in  from  an  enemy  machine  gun.  The  Boches 
had  begun  to  turn  their  energies  to  the  caved-in 


84.  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

parapet.  Occasionally  a  single  bnllet  sped  past 
the  diggers,  but  none  of  them  were  hit. 

By  this  time  another  detail,  composed  of 
green  and  seasoned  men,  was  engaged  in  filling 
sandbags  with  earth  and  passing  them  on  to 
still  another  group  who  were  rebuilding  the 
parapet. 

Farther  down,  a  second  deafening  roar  an- 
nounced that  another  "Minnie"  had  burst  in 
the  trench.  Jimmy  wondered  how  much  dam- 
age it  had  done.  Already  stretcher-bearers  had 
come  up  on  the  double  quick,  and  were  taking 
care  of  the  shattered  form  which  Jimmy  had 
now  released  from  the  pinioning  earth.  They 
would  bear  it  away  through  the  communication 
trench  to  the  rear.  Presently  it  would  be  laid 
to  rest  in  foreign  soil,  and  an  identification  tag 
would  go  speeding  across  the  ocean  to  tell  its 
own  gruesome  story  to  the  Sammy's  dear  ones 
back  home.  Though  he  had  not  lived  to  fire 
even  one  shot  at  the  Germans,  he  had,  neverthe- 
less, done  his  bit.    He  had  died  for  his  country. 


CHAPTER  XII 

GETTING   USED   TO   IT 

AFTER  a  third  "Minnie"  had  sped  across 
No  Man's  Land  and  into  the  front-line 
trench,  an  advanced  American  battery 
opened  up  on  the  Boches  and  returned  the  com- 
pliment with  a  hot  fire  that  soon  put  a  tem- 
porary check  on  Fritzie's  activities  so  far  as 
the  sending  over  of  more  Minnies  went.  Ger- 
man machine  guns,  however,  continued  to  di- 
rect their  fire  upon  the  gaps  in  the  trenches 
made  by  their  mortars. 

Four  men  had  been  killed  and  several 
wounded,  as  a  result  of  the  last  two  mortar 
shells. 

Immediately  the  damage  had  been  wrought 
to  the  trench  parapet,  willing  hands  set  to  work 
to  rebuild  the  broken  places  to  their  original 
height.  During  the  operation  three  more  men 
lost  their  lives,  shot  down  by  the  bullets  from 
the  Boche  machine  guns. 

After  this  brief  exchange  of  hostilities  quiet 
85 


86  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


again  settled  down,  broken  only  by  the  occa- 
sional letting  loose  of  a  Boche  shrapnel  shell  di- 
rected at  some  point  behind  the  lines. 

Their  digging  detail  finished,  Jimmy  and  Bob 
again  repaired  to  the  dugout  and  slept  until 
noon.  Both  awoke  at  dinner  time  greatly  re- 
freshed by  their  brief  sleep.  A  palatable  stew 
and  more  hot  coffee  put  them  in  excellent  trim 
for  whatever  duty  might  fall  to  them  later  on. 

Dinner  over,  they  promptly  made  a  fresh  ef- 
fort to  find  their  bunkies.  Roger,  Schnitzel,  and 
Ignace,  who  were  fairly  near  together  some  dis- 
tance down  the  line,  had  also  started  out  on  a 
hunt  for  Bob  and  Jimmy.  Both  search  parties 
met  about  halfway  respectively  from  their  own 
stations.  Bob  and  Jimmy  had  the  good  fortune 
to  bump  into  their  bunkies  just  as  the  latter 
were  entering  a  dugout. 

"Come  on  in  and  let's  talk,"  urged  Roger. 
"Goodness  knows  we  may  never  have  another 
chance. ' ' 

"Did  either  of  those  last  two  mortars  get  any 
of  your  men?"  was  Bob's  first  question  of 
Roger,  as  the  five  sought  a  corner  of  the  dug- 
out and  sat  down  on  the  floor  in  a  compact 
circle. 

"No ;  but  Schnitz  lost  two  good  boys  and  Iggy 
one.  My  men  were  in  the  dugout  asleep  when 
it  happened." 

"It  was  horrible."  Schnitzel's  dark  face 
wore  an  expression  of  deepest  gloom.    "Ryan 


GETTING  USED  TO  IT  87 

and  Harvey,  corking  fellows,  both  had  their 
heads  blown  almost  off  their  shoulders.  I'm 
all  broken  np  over  Eyan.  He  was  one  of  the 
straightest  guys  I  ever  met.  Gritty,  too.  He 
was  dying  to  get  a  whack  at  the  Boches.  Now 
he's  gone  West,  and  never  had  a  chance  to  kill 
off  even  one  of  the  dirty  brutes.  He  was  an 
only  son,  too.  His  folks  just  worshipped  him. 
I'm  going  to  write  to  his  mother.  I  promised 
long  ago  that  I  would  if  it  came  to  the  scratch. 
He  gave  me  her  address." 

Schnitzel  spoke  with  intense  bitterness. 
Eyan  had  been  the  best  man  in  his  squad. 

"Tough  luck!" 

Jimmy  voiced  his  most  emphatic  expression 
of  sympathy. 

"When  come  him  that  one  shail,  so  have  I 
the  dugout  jus'  leave,"  burst  forth  Ignace. 
"Then  hear  I  som'  the  loud  thoonder  an'  fall 
down  in  trench.  So  think  I  mebbe  I  daid  for 
minute. ' ' 

"Ha,  ha!"  jeered  Bob.  "How  could  you  be 
dead  and  keep  on  thinking,  you  funny  old  top?" 

"Mebbe  I  daid,  you  no  laugh,"  responded 
Ignace  with  a  tranquillity  that  showed  he  was 
quite  used  to  Bob's  raillery. 

"You're  right  I  wouldn't."  Bob's  merry 
face  quickly  sobered.  "It's  because  you're  not 
'daid'  that  I'm  laughing.  It's  a  poor  subject 
to  josh  about,  though.    Let's  forget  it." 

"I'll  never  forget  that  fellow  I  dug  out  of 


88  THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

the  mud,"  declared  Jimmy  tensely.  "He  was 
the  one  croaked  by  the  first  'Minnie.'  I  was 
in  our  dugout  with  Bob  when  it  hit  the  trench. 
All  the  fellows  in  there  rushed  out  to  see. 
Lieutenant  Jaynes  shoved  'em  back  in  a  hurry, 
except  a  detail  to  dig  and  one  to  repair  the 
parapet.  I  was  detailed  to  dig  and  I  went  at  it, 
too.  Hauled  the  fellow  from  under  all  by  my- 
self. His  face  was  all  smashed  in.  Don't  know 
yet  who  he  was,  except  that  he  wasn't  one  of 
my  men.    One  of  the  greenies,  like  us,  I  guess. ' ' 

"It's  a  pretty  savage  business,  but  I'll  bet 
our  guns  clicked  some  Boche  casualties,  too," 
asserted  Roger. 

"I  thought  we'd  all  get  the  order  to  'stand 
to'  after  that  third  shell,  but  not  yet.  I  sup- 
pose the  Huns  thought  they'd  send  over  a  few 
'Minnies'  to  scare  us.  Wonder  when  they'll 
make  a  real  stab  at  us?" 

"When  they  get  good  and  ready,"  shrugged 
Schnitzel.  "Maybe  not  while  we're  here.  We 
may  be  the  ones  to  start  the  ball  rolling.  One 
reason  it's  been  so  quiet,  I  guess,  is  because  the 
Fritzies  haven't  any  ammunition  to  waste.  I've 
been  told  that  the  Allies  are  sending  over 
twenty  shells  to  their  one  these  days." 

' '  Some  improvement. ' '  Jimmy  expressed  his 
deep  satisfaction  at  this  rumor.  "When  the 
war  began  it  was  twenty  to  one  in  favor  of  Bill 
Kaiser.  Now  the  shoe  seems  to  be  on  the  other 
foot." 


GETTING  USED  TO  IT 89 

"I  hope  I  live  to  see  the  day  when  it'll  be 
fifty  to  nothing  in  favor  of  the  Allies,"  was 
Roger's  heartfelt  declaration. 

"It'll  come,  even  if  we  don't  live  to  see  it," 
assured  Schnitzel  prophetically. 

"So  think  I,"  nodded  Ignace.  "Byrne  by, 
thes'  Boche  have  no  the  nothin'.  Then  get  kill 
pretty  quick.  I  would  him  myself  that  ver '  bad 
Bill  Kaiser  kill." 

"Why  don't  you  ask  for  the  detail?"  was 
Bob's  mischievous  suggestion.  "I'll  lend  you 
Gaston  to  help  do  the  dirty  work." 

"Now  again  you  mak'  the  fon  to  me,"  gig- 
gled Ignace.  "I  say  only  I  would  it  to  do.  So 
is  it." 

"  'So  is  it,'  "  repeated  Bob.  "I  can  just  see 
our  Iggins  and  dear  Gaston  hot-footing  it  to 
Bill's  royal  shebang  to  put  him  out  of  his  mis- 
ery. Gaston  would  be  some  fine  little  ally.  You 
could  turn  him  loose  on  the  imperial  guard 
while  you  went  in  the  back  door  of  the  palace 
and  did  up  William. ' 9 

Bob's  nonsense  brought  a  smile  even  to 
Schnitzel's  somber  face.  No  one  could  be  seri- 
ous for  long  with  Bob  on  the  premises.  His 
light-hearted  ability  to  see  the  funny  side  of 
things  when  in  the  midst  of  shadow  was  always 
eminently  cheering  to  his  bunkies. 

"I  wish  I  had  Gaston  with  me,"  Bob  con- 
tinued regretfully.  "I'll  bet  he'd  win  a  whole 
string  of  honor  tin  cans  going  Over  the  Top. 


90      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

He'd  probably  eat  'em  afterward,  though,  un- 
less Bobby  was  around  to  see  that  he  didn't 
overload  his  heroic  stomach.  Just  as  soon  as  I 
get  back  to  a  rest  billet,  I'm  going  to  take  Gas- 
ton to  the  K.  0.  and  offer  his  services.  I'll  bet 
they'll  be  gratefully  accepted. " 

"Unless  Gaston  takes  it  into  his  head  to 
charge  on  the  K.  0.,"  laughingly  -supplemented 
Roger. 

"Oh,  I'll  speak  to  Gaston  about  that  before- 
hand," airily  assured  Bob.  "I'll  put  him  wise 
to  the  difference  between  a  K.  0.  and  a  bunch 
of  insignificant  non-coms." 

"Don't  forget  to  class  yourself  with  that 
bunch,"  reminded  Jimmy. 

The  five  Brothers  continued  to  talk  in  this 
light  strain,  well  content  to  get  away  briefly 
from  the  grim  shadow  of  war.  Already  they 
were  unconsciously  leaning  toward  the  desire  to 
keep  strictly  to  the  surface  of  things. 

In  the  front-line  trenches  men  soon  realize 
that  it  is  futile  to  worry  over  what  may  hap- 
pen. They  learn  to  live  from  hour  to  hour  and 
make  the  most  of  whatever  cheer  lies  at  hand. 

They  gleefully  plan  for  the  future,  refusing 
to  reflect  that  a  well-directed  shell  or  bullet 
may  send  them  speeding  West  immediately 
afterward.  If  it  were  not  for  this  cheery  ignor- 
ing of  grim  Death  hovering  ever  near,  arrant 
Fear  would  soon  step  in  and  claim  toll  on  them. 
Dread  of  Death  courts  Fear  indeed. 


GETTING  USED  TO  IT 91 

Toward  supper  time  the  Khaki  Boys  wit- 
nessed from  the  trench  a  spirited  bout  in  the 
air  between  Boche  and  Allied  aircraft.  From 
somewhere  back  of  the  enemy  trenches,  half  a 
dozen  German  aeroplanes  suddenly  rose  against 
the  evening  sky  and  began  a  flight  toward  the 
American  sector. 

When  hardly  halfway  over  No  Man's  Land 
they  were  met  by  a  fleet  of  French  planes  which 
had  promptly  risen  to  drive  them  back. 
Though  they  were  some  distance  up  the  line 
from  the  portion  of  the  front  line  trench  occu- 
pied by  the  509th  Infantry  men,  the  Sammies 
had  a  fairly  good  view  of  the  tight.  They  could 
hear  the  constant  pop-pop  of  the  aircraft  ma- 
chine guns  as  the  contestants  swooped,  dived 
and  circled  about  one  another. 

Jimmy  Blaise  centered  his  attention  particu- 
larly upon  one  of  the  French  planes.  It  had 
been  the  first  to  rally  to  the  scene  and  was  giv- 
ing good  account  of  itself. 

Its  aviator  appeared  to  bear  a  charmed  life. 
Shells  from  the  G-erman  Archies,  which  had 
immediately  gone  into  action,  failed  to  reach 
him.  He  spiraled  and  sank,  sank  and  spiraled 
with  an  elusive  dexterity  that  was  dizzying  to 
watch.  At  times  his  plane  would  lurch  wildly, 
dropping  a  little,  as  though  shell-pierced  and 
about  to  fall.  Instantly  it  would  right  itself 
and  soar  upward,  cleverly  maneuvering  so  as 
always  to  attain  a  position  in  the  air  where  its 


92      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

gunner  could  pour  a  mercilessly  effective  fire 
upon  the  Boche  planes. 

One  of  them  went  down  to  destruction  as  a 
result  of  the  wonderman's  marvelous  exhibi- 
tion of  skill  and  daring.  A  plane  of  the  French 
fleet  also  met  disaster.  Seeing  one  of  their 
number  down,  the  Frenchies  rallied  to  the  on- 
slaught with  a  zeal  that  soon  put  another  Boche 
plane  out  of  business.  By  this  time  Allied 
Archies  were  sending  their  shells  against  the 
invaders  with  a  demoralizing  aim  that  crippled 
a  third  enemy  plane  and  sent  the  three  remain- 
ing Boche  flyers  soaring  out  of  danger  and  back 
to  their  own  lines. 

In  the  trenches  the  Sammies  were  cheering 
with  wild  enthusiasm  as  they  watched  the  spir- 
ited conflict  in  the  air.  Here  was  a  spectacle 
beside  which  even  baseball  paled  into  insignifi- 
cance as  a  purely  "sports"  proposition.  They 
were  only  sorry  that  it  lasted  so  short  a  time. 

"Great  work,"  yelled  one  of  the  seasoned 
men  who  stood  beside  Jimmy.  "That  one  guy 
was  a  sure-enough  peach  of  a  birdman. ' ' 

"You  bet,"  agreed  Jimmy  fervently. 

The  clever  work  of  the  daring  aviator  had 
brought  to  his  mind  the  "Flying  Terror  of 
France."  He  imagined  that  only  a  man  like 
Voissard  would  be  capable  of  giving  such  a 
wonderful  exhibition  of  flying  as  he  had  just 
witnessed.  Where  was  Cousin  Emile  now,  he 
wondered,    and   would   he   ever   see   Voissard 


GETTING  USED  TO  IT 93 

again?  Perhaps  he  would  not  live  long  enongh 
to  learn  the  important  information  concerning 
the  "tiger  man"  which  Voissard  had  men- 
tioned in  his  letter  to  Jimmy. 

Until  now  Jimmy  had  not  once  thought  of 
the  "tiger  man"  since  the  march  to  the  front 
had  begun.  The  events  of  that  memorial  hike 
had  driven  the  past  quite  out  of  his  mind. 
Standing  there  in  the  trench  his  gray  eyes  grew 
retrospective  as  his  mind  harked  back  to  the 
time  he  and  his  bunkies  had  boarded  the  Co- 
lumbia. He  had  not  realized  until  then  how 
really  remarkable  had  been  his  adventures  since 
he  left  the  United  States.  Living  them  from 
day  to  day  they  had  not  seemed  so  very  un- 
usual. 

The  greatest  adventure  of  all  yet  lay  ahead 
of  him.  He  had  still  to  know  what  it  meant  to 
be  actually  under  fire  and  take  part  in  a  real, 
bang-up  fight.  His  natural  impatience  of  delay 
made  him  wish  that  it  would  come  soon.  Per- 
haps this  latest  attempt  of  the  Boches  to  send 
observation  planes  over  the  American  trenches 
meant  that  the  enemy  was  getting  impatient, 
too.    He  hoped  so. 

He  had  come  to  the  trenches  to  fight  and  he 
felt  it  would  be  a  bitter  disappointment  should 
his  first  tour  in  the  trenches  end  without  at  least 
one  opportunity  to  fire  a  shot  for  Uncle  Sam. 


CHAPTEE  XIII 


UNDER   FIRE 


EATING  an  early  supper,  the  order  ' ' stand 
to'*  came  just  at  dusk  and  was  passed 
along  from  traverse  to  traverse.  "With 
it  two  veteran  sentries  in  each  traverse  took 
up  their  positions  on  the  fire  step  to  keep  ward 
over  No  Man's  Land. 

Until  relieved  by  other  sentries,  one  of  the 
two  in  each  traverse  would  stand,  immovable 
on  the  fire  step,  watching  over  the  parapet  for 
any  signs  of  activity  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 
The  other  man  would  sit  at  his  feet  ready  to 
inform  the  platoon  officer  of  whatever  reports 
his  companion  might  make  in  regard  to  what 
he  saw  going  on  across  the  narrow  stretch  of 
land  that  divided  the  two  armies. 

It  was  an  especially  trying  post  for  the  ob- 
servation man.  Not  for  an  instant  did  he  dare 
remove  his  eyes  from  the  portion  of  land  in 
front  of  him.  Whether  he  spoke  to  make  a 
report  or  to  answer  a  question  put  to  him  by 

94 


UNDER  FIRE  95 


his  companion,  he  was  obliged  to  speak  in 
guarded  tones  and  without  turning  his  head. 
His  motto  had  to  be  "  Eyes  Front. ' ' 

In  the  trench,  ranged  along  the  fire  step,  with 
bayonets  fixed,  Uncle  Sam's  young  defenders 
sat  ready  for  duty  at  the  slightest  word  of 
command. 

Now  strictly  on  the  alert,  the  Khaki  Boys 
dared  not  speak  above  a  whisper  and  only  when 
necessary,  as,  for  instance,  in  passing  an  order 
along  the  lane.  Rigid  discipline  had  to  be  ob- 
served in  this  respect,  lest  some  loudly-uttered 
word  should  be  heard  by  a  Boche  detail  out  on 
listening  post  duty. 

In  the  daytime  No  Man's  Land  is  never  a 
land  of  living  men.  Often  it  occupies  a  space 
hardly  larger  than  a  good-sized  garden.  It  is 
a  desolate  stretch  of  ground,  indeed.  One  sees 
only  masses  of  barbed  wire  and  yawning  shell 
holes,  sometimes  containing  all  that  remains  of 
what  once  were  fighting  men.  Perhaps  a  few 
ragged  stumps  dot  it  here  and  there,  or  a  pile 
of  debris  that  originally  formed  part  of  a  farm- 
house, long  since  leveled  to  the  earth  by  the 
barking  dogs  of  war,  the  big  guns. 

At  night,  however,  it  undergoes  a  swift 
transformation.  Under  cover  of  the  darkness 
it  soon  swarms  with  living  men.  They  crawl 
stealthily  about  on  their  details.  Perhaps  they 
are  risking  their  lives  on  listening  duty. 
Again  they  may  be  out  to  mend  broken-down 


96      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

wire.  After  a  battle  they  steal  out  to  bring  in 
their  dead  and  wounded. 

Night  expeditions  across  No  Man's  Land  are 
of  equal  importance  to  both  sides.  Each  sends 
out  its  eyes  to  keep  tab  on  the  movements  of 
the  other  and  find  out,  if  possible,  his  oppo- 
nent's strength  and  plans. 

Many  a  silent  battle  is  fought  there  in  the 
dark  when  two  enemy  details  chance  to  meet. 
Never  a  shot  is  fired.  Steel  meets  steel  and  the 
victor  goes  on  his  way,  leaving  behind  the  life- 
less form  of  his  antagonist.  Out  there,  kill 
quickly  and  mercilessly  is  the  watchword.  The 
ethics  of  No  Man's  Land  permit  of  no  quarter. 

The  quiet  continuing  all  evening,  toward  ten 
o'clock  the  new  men  and  a  part  of  their  sea- 
soned comrades  were  allowed  to  seek  the  dug- 
outs for  a  little  sleep. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  sleepers 
were  routed  out  with  the  order  " stand  to." 
Though  the  Khaki  Boys  could  not  know  it,  a 
patrol  had  returned  half  an  hour  before  with 
the  information  that  they  had  surprised  a 
Boche  wiring  party,  who  were  busily  engaged  in 
cutting  lanes  in  their  own  wires,  and  had  killed 
two  of  them.  This  looked  decidedly  suspicious, 
to  say  the  least.  The  patrol  was  of  the  belief 
that  an  attack  on  the  American  trench  would 
soon  begin,  followed  by  a  raiding  party  of 
Boches. 

Shortly  after  the  Khaki  Boys  had  taken  up 


UNDER  FIRE  97 


their  positions  on  the  fire-step,  the  German  guns 
began  a  furious  bombardment  of  the  American 
trench,  forcing  the  men  to  shelter  themselves 
behind  the  parados.  The  parados,  in  this  par- 
ticular trench,  were  composed  of  squares  of 
sandbags  built  up  at  intervals  for  a  distance  of 
about  three  feet  behind  the  parapet,  leaving  a 
lane  in  the  trench  just  wide  enough  for  passage 
back  and  forth  behind  them.  These  parados 
did  much  to  avert  casualties  caused  from  bits 
of  bursting  high-explosive  shells. 

The  American  batteries  lost  no  time  in  open- 
ing up  on  the  Germans,  returning  their  fire 
with  equal  fury.  For  a  while  the  din  was  ter- 
rific. Shells  screamed  overhead,  causing  a  pan- 
demonium of  racket.  Bursting,  their  fire  made 
No  Man's  Land  almost  as  light  as  day.  In  the 
trench  many  Sammies  were  dropping,  wound- 
ed or  killed  by  pieces  of  exploding  shell.  The 
Khaki  Boys  were  receiving  their  baptism  of  fire 
in  earnest. 

It  was  a  battle  in  which  the  Sammies  them- 
selves took  small  part,  save  to  crouch  in  the 
trench,  shielding  themselves  as  best  they  could 
from  that  devastating  rain  of  fire.  The  noise 
was  too  great  for  them  to  make  themselves 
heard  in  passing  an  order,  save  by  cupping 
hands  to  mouth  and  yelling  as  loudly  as  they 
could. 

For  an  hour  each  side  continued  to  bombard 
the  other's  trenches.    All  along  the  parapet  of 


98      THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

the  American  trench  yawning  gaps  began  to 
appear.  As  fast  as  one  was  made,  men  set  to 
work  upon  it  to  repair  the  damage  before  dawn 
should  appear  and  expose  the  Sammies  to  the 
rifle  and  machine-gun  fire  of  the  Boches. 

The  Khaki  Boys  turned  to  with  a  will. 
Some  rilled  sandbags  with  mud,  others  rebuilt 
the  shattered  parados  and  stopped  the  gaps  in 
the  parapet.  Toiling  with  desperate  energy, 
they  could  only  hope  that  the  American  guns 
were  doing  much  heavier  damage  to  the 
Fritzies'  fire  trench.  They  had  faith  that  their 
own  artillery  could  register  more  telling  hits 
than  that  of  the  enemy. 

Considering  the  number  of  shells  that  the 
Germans  were  sending  over,  many  of  them  had 
been  aimed  in  the  direction  of  the  flare  from 
the  American  batteries.  These  passed  right 
over  the  trenches.  The  American  guns  contin- 
uing to  keep  up  a  constant  thundering,  it 
looked  as  though  the  Boches  had  not  succeeded 
in  wiping  out  any  of  these  batteries. 

The  gray  light  of  dawn  showed  first  glimpse 
of  the  enemy  trenches.  It  was  a  sight  that 
cheered  the  Sammies  immensely.  Gap  after 
gap  yawned  in  the  parapet  of  their  fire  trench, 
through  which  could  be  seen  plainly  the  forms 
of  German  soldiers,  hurrying  back  and  forth  or 
toiling  desperately  to  re-establish  a  protecting 
wall  between  themselves  and  the  Sammies. 

If  the  Boches  had  intended  to  raid  it  seemed 


UNDER  FIRE  99 


evident  that  they  had  given  it  up  as  a  bad  job 
and  devoted  themselves  strictly  to  the  business 
of  playing  safe. 

With  daylight  their  guns  suddenly  became 
silent.  The  American  batteries  went  on  ham- 
mering at  them,  however,  for  some  time  after 
the  Boche  artillery  had  ceased  firing. 

The  dilapidation  of  the  Boche  fire  trench 
gave  the  Sammies  the  opportunity  for  which 
they  had  been  waiting.  They  now  began  to 
pour  a  hot  rifle  and  machine-gun  fire  at  the 
enemy,  inflicting  heavy  casualties.  The  Grer- 
man  batteries  immediately  got  busy  with  smoke 
shells  and  soon  hung  a  curtain  of  heavy  smoke 
in  front  of  their  lines,  which  completely  ob- 
structed a  view  of  their  trenches. 

Through  the  smoke  the  Sammies  continued  to 
harass  the  foe,  until  the  order  came  to  cease 
firing.  Though  the  Americans  had  suffered  a 
good  many  casualties,  the  Germans  had  clicked 
a  far  greater  number.  Their  proposed  raid 
had  ended  in  a  sound  drubbing  for  them.  "When 
night  again  fell  they  would  have  the  pleasure 
of  mending  the  wires  they  had  been  in  such  a 
hurry  to  cut,  provided  they  did  not  make  a 
second  attempt  to  raid  within  the  next  few 
hours. 

Of  late  these  night  raids  had  become  a  new 
feature  in  the  war.  Beginning  with  a  heavy 
bombardment,  the  attacking  troops  would  dash 
over  the  top,  take  the  enemy  trenches,  make 


100    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

thorough  search  of  them,  capturing  as  many 
prisoners  and  machine  guns  as  possible.  In- 
stead of  occupying  the  trenches  taken,  these 
would  be  destroyed  by  fire  or  dynamite,  the 
victors  returning  to  their  own  lines. 

It  was  such  a  raid  as  this  that  the  Germans 
had  been  on  the  point  of  making.  Thanks  to 
the  efficient  work  of  the  American  batteries, 
they  had  not  been  able  to  carry  it  out. 

"When  it  was  all  over  and  comparative  quiet 
had  again  settled  down  on  both  sides,  Jimmy 
Blaise  was  amazed  to  find  himself  not  only 
alive  but  unhurt.  Through  those  terrible  hours 
he  had  seen  comrades  dropping  on  both  sides 
of  him,  yet,  somehow,  he  had  come  through  that 
raging  hail  of  shot  and  shell  unscathed.  He 
marveled  that,  while  it  had  been  going  on,  he 
had  worked  like  a  tiger  at  helping  rebuild  the 
shattered  defenses  without  a  thought  that  he 
might  be  living  his  last  moments  of  life. 

After  firing  a  final  shot  and  getting  down 
from  the  fire  step,  he  stared  about  in  a  half- 
dazed  fashion.  To  and  fro  through  the  fire 
trench  stretcher-bearers  moved  continually, 
bearing  the  shell-shattered  soldiers  away 
through  the  communication  trenches  to  first-aid 
posts.  Many  a  bloody  form  lifted  gently  to  the 
stretchers  was  beyond  human  aid. 

Jimmy's  first  coherent  thoughts  centered  on 
his  own  men.  He  must  find  out  what  had  hap- 
pened to  them.     Pulling  himself  together  he 


UNDER  FIRE  101 


began  an  investigation.  He  soon  discovered 
that  he  had  lost  four  of  them  for  good  and  all. 
Several  others  had  been  seriously  wounded. 
Like  himself  a  few  had  come  out  of  the  fray 
untouched.  For  a  time  he  busied  himself  in 
doing  what  he  could  for  the  wounded,  until  re- 
lieved by  the  first-aid  men. 

The  aroma  of  coffee  in  the  air  brought  him 
to  a  dim  realization  that  it  was  breakfast  time. 
He  was  not  hungry.  Who  could  be  after  see- 
ing those  broken,  bloody  shapes  being  lifted  to 
the  stretchers  I  He  felt  as  though  he  would  not 
be  able  to  eat  for  a  week  afterward. 

"Thank  God,  Blazes,  you're  not  one  of  'em!" 

A  friendly  hand  clutched  his  arm. 

At  the  sound  of  the  familiar  but  rather  un- 
steady tones  and  the  touch  of  a  hand  Jimmy 
whirled  to  find  Bob  beside  him.  The  latter 's 
face  was  grimy,  a  little  stream  of  blood  trickled 
down  one  cheek  from  a  shallow  gash  high  up 
toward  his  left  eye. 

"Bob!"  Jimmy  grabbed  his  bunkie  and 
fairly  hugged  him.  "You're  hurt!"  he  ex- 
claimed. 

"Just  a  scratch.  I  can  hardly  feel  it.  A 
Fritzie  bullet  shinned  past  me  and  broke  the 
skin.  I  just  used  my  first-aid  dressing  on  a 
fellow  in  my  squad." 

"Let  me  fix  you  up." 

Jimmy  hurriedly  reached  for  his  first-aid 
packet,  took  from  it  his  last  bit  of  antiseptic 


102     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


gauze  and  applied  it  to  the  bleeding  gash,  care- 
ful not  to  touch  it  with  his  fingers.  As  Bob 
had  declared,  it  was  hardly  more  than  a 
scratch. 

"I'd  plaster  it  up,"  he  said,  as  he  staunched 
the  bleeding,  "but  you'd  better  hike  down  to 
first-aid  post  and  have  it  looked  after  there. 
You  mustn  't  run  chances  of  infection. ' ' 

"I'd  started  for  first-aid  when  I  bumped  into 
you.  You're  a  welcome  sight,  believe  me, 
Blazes!"  Bob  spoke  with  an  intensity  of  af- 
fection. "I  could  hardly  believe  my  eyes  when 
I  saw  you  standing  there.  Not  a  scratch  on 
you,  you  good  old  scout !  How  any  of  us  man- 
aged to  live  through  that  fracas  beats  me. 
Under  fire,  at  last!    Well,  I  guess  so!" 

"Maybe  I'm  not  just  as  glad  to  see  you!" 
Jimmy's  gray  eyes  shone.  His  brief  flash  of 
joy  changing  to  anxiety  he  asked:  "Bob,  have 
you  seen  any  of  the  fellows?  We've  got  to 
find  out " 

"Kodge  is  all  right,"  Bob  quickly  responded. 
"I  saw  him  right  after  things  quieted  down. 
He's  looking  up  Sehnitz  and  Iggy  now.  As 
soon  as  I  get  this  Boche  memento  plastered  up 
I'm  to  meet  him  at  the  dugout  we  were  in  yes- 
terday. He'll  have  found  out  about  the  boys 
by  then." 

"Go  to  it  and  get  plastered,  then.  I'm  go- 
ing after  Rodge.  Look  out  while  you're  in 
the    communication    trench.      If    you    hear    a 


UNDER  FIRE  Igg 


whishing  sound,  duck  for  cover.  The  Bodies 
are  likely  to  send  over  shrapnel,  'cause  they 
know  the  stretcher  men  are  using  that  com- 
munication trench  now. ' ' 

"Duck's  the  word.    See  you  at  the  dugout." 

With  a  wave  of  his  hand,  Bob  hurried  away. 
Jimmy  watched  him  for  a  second,  then  started 
up  the  trench  toward  the  dugout  he  and  his 
bunkies  had  been  using  since  their  arrival  in 
the  trenches. 

All  the  way  he  encountered  stretcher  men, 
busy  with  their  ghastly  work.  Three  times  he 
stopped  to  aid  them  in  lifting  a  wounded 
Sammy  to  a  stretcher.  By  the  time  he  reached 
the  dugout  he  was  feeling  sick  at  the  stomach. 
It  was  the  sickness  of  fear,  however.  With 
every  bleeding  form  he  had  seen,  his  heart  had 
been  in  his  throat  lest  in  it  he  recognize  Iggy 
or  Sehnitz. 

Finally  reaching  the  dugout,  he  was  about  to 
enter  when  he  spied  Roger  coming  down  the 
trench  toward  him.  Behind  Roger  were  two 
disheveled,  grim-faced  men,  whom  he  neverthe- 
less recognized.  Despite  the  restriction  against 
using  a  handkerchief  to  staunch  bleeding,  one 
of  them  was  holding  that  forbidden  bit  of  linen 
to  his  cheek. 

Uttering  a  shout,  Jimmy  ran  toward  them. 

"Oh,  you  fellows!"  was  his  heartfelt  cry  of 
relief.  "It  takes  more  than  a  Boche  thunder- 
storm to  put  the  five  Brothers  out  of  business !" 


CHAPTER  XIV 

DETAILED  TO  SCOUTING  DUTY 


1HE  joy  of  that  meeting,  even  under  snch 
grim  circumstances,  can  be  better  imag- 
ined than  described.  To  all  it  seemed 
unbelievable  that  they  should  have  been  spared 
to  fraternize  once  more.  The  tears  raced 
frankly  down  Ignace's  smoke-blackened  face  as 
he  crooned  over  Jimmy  in  Polish.  He  could 
find  no  English  in  which  to  express  his  utter 
happiness  at  seeing  his  best  beloved  Brother 
safe  and  sound.  By  common  consent  the  quar- 
tette sought  a  dugout  for  a  few  minutes'  talk. 
They  were  wild  to  compare  notes. 

"Take  that  handkerchief  from  your  face," 
Timmy  commanded  of  Schnitzel.  "Where's 
you're  first-aid  packet?" 

"Gone.  Used  it  on  one  of  my  men.  It  didn't 
lo  him  much  good.  He  went  West  in  my  arms. 
This  beauty  spot  on  my  cheek  is  nothing  much. ' ' 

Schnitzel's  joy  at  seeing  his  friends  vanished 
from  his  face,  leaving  it  doubly  somber. 

104 


DETAILED  TO  SCOUTING  DUTY     105 

"I've  only  one  whole  man  in  my  squad,"  he 
said.    "Curse  the  Bodies!" 

"Amen!"  agreed  Roger  savagely.  "They 
lost  me  two  good  men.  They  certainly  soaked 
it  to  the  fire  trench." 

"We  went  'em  one  better,"  exulted  Schnitzel. 
'Their  artillery  isn't  in  it  with  ours.  It's  a 
wonder  they  didn't  slam  their  own  fire  trench. 
Some  of  those  shells  were  aimed  by  Boche 
tailors,  I  guess.  They  certainly  went  wild. 
But,  oh,  Boy!  What  our  batteries  did  to  their 
trench  was  beautiful!  Wish  we'd  gone  over 
the  top.  We  could  have  taken  their  first  trench 
easy  as  wink." 

"That's  what  I  thought,"  put  in  Roger.  "I 
expected  every  minute  to  get  the  order  to  go 
after  'em." 

"We're  too  green  yet,  I  suppose,  for  that," 
was  Jimmy's  opinion.  "This  stretch  in  the 
trenches  is  really  our  practice  turn.  Next  time 
in,  maybe,  we'll  get  a  chance  to  leg  it  across 
No  Man's  Land." 

"That's  what  the  Boches  had  up  their 
sleeve,"  declared  Schnitzel.  "They've  been  on 
tins  to  find  out  our  strength  and  all  that.  They 
haven't  got  much  of  a  line  on  the  Sammies  yet. 
They'll  know  more  about  us  when  we  get 
through  with  'em,  those  that  are  left  alive." 

"So  think  I.  By  my  squad  have  I  the  one 
nan  see  get  the  head  shoot  off.  Now  will  I 
isoon  the  five  Boche  kill.     So  is  it  to  pay  the 


106    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

head  this  poor  man.  This  remember  I  when 
go  over  top.  I  will  it  do,  I  no  get  the  croak 
firs',''  vowed  Ignace  vengefnlly. 

"A  Polish  vendetta."  Schnitzel  smiled 
faintly.  "A  five  to  one  proposition  like  that 
snits  me,  though.  I'll  rid  the  earth  of  as  many 
Fritzies  as  I  can.  If  ever  I  get  one  where  I 
want  him,  the  Kamerad  business  won't  go  down 
with  me.  They  say  the  dogs  whine  like  any- 
thing for  mercy  in  a  bayonet  charge.  Cold 
steel  gives  'em  the  Willies." 

Having  won  safely  through  their  first  trial 
by  fire,  the  Khaki  Boys  were  full  of  rancor 
against  the  enemy.  The  horrible  slaughter  of 
their  comrades  had  given  Hate  fresh  impetus. 

Bob  presently  returned,  his  face  neatly  plas- 
tered. Another  joyful  reunion  took  place  be- 
tween himself,  Ignace  and  Schnitzel. 

"Go  and  get  your  face  fixed,  Schnitz,"  he 
advised  when  the  first  effusion  of  greeting  was 
over.  "The  first-aid  fellows  have  their  own 
hands  full,  but  they'll  do  you  up  quick  if  you 
can  get  hold  of  one." 

"I'm  going  to  feed  first,"  replied  Schnitzel. 
"I  didn't  know  I  was  hungry  until  I  saw  you 
guys.  Seeing  you  all  to  the  good  brought  back 
my  appetite." 

"I'm  hungry,  too.  It's  a  queer  game,  isn't 
it  ?  How  a  fellow  can  see  his  comrades  go  West 
by  the  shell  road  and  then  feel  like  eating  is 
a  puzzle  to  me,"  mused  Boger. 


DETAILED  TO  SCOUTING  DUTY     107 


"We're  beginning  to  get  used  to  the 
trenches,"  was  Schnitzel's  grim  opinion.  "A 
few  more  scraps  like  this  and  nothing  will 
feaze  us.  If  we  expect  to  be  any  good  as  fight- 
ers we've  got  to  eat,  no  matter  what  happens." 

A  little  later  the  five  bunkies  found  break- 
fast very  palatable,  even  after  the  horrors  they 
had  recently  witnessed.  The  trench  now  fairly 
clear  of  wounded  and  dead  men,  the  survivors 
sat  along  the  fire  step  and  hungrily  devoured 
their  stew  and  hot  coffee. 

After  breakfast,  sleep  became  the  order  of 
things,  except  for  those  detailed  to  various 
trench  labors,  particularly  that  of  completely 
restoring  the  parapet.  Men  engaged  in  this 
task  were  relieved  from  time  to  time  by  a  fresh 
detail,  thus  enabling  all  to  get  a  few  hours '  rest. 
Except  for  occasional  Boche  shrapnel  shells 
aimed  principally  at  the  communication 
trenches,  all  remained  serene. 

A  communication  trench  is  not  easy  to  hit, 
as  it  makes  use  of  everything  available  for 
cover.  It  is  cut  through  the  ruins  of  barns  or 
houses  and  seeks  in  every  possible  way  to  con- 
ceal itself  from  enemy  observation.  As  it  must 
run  indirectly  at  right  angles  to  the  fire  trench 
and  thus  toward  the  German,  its  zig-zag,  tortu- 
ous windings  are  necessary  to  keep  it  from 
being  enfiladed  by  the  enemy  guns.  When  it 
reaches  a  spot  bare  of  bushes,  ruins  or  similar 
protection,  it  makes  a  quick  turn  to  the  right, 


108     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

then  to  the  left,  to  the  left  once  more,  forming 
a  partial  square,  which  prevents  the  preceding 
bit  of  trench  from  being  enfiladed. 

It  is  generally  about  five  feet  deep  and  the 
earth  taken  from  it  is  piled  up  on  each  side, 
forming  mounds.  Stakes  are  driven  into  it  to 
a  height  of  about  two  feet  above  its  open  top 
on  each  side,  and  between  these  stakes  ex- 
panded metal  is  stretched  to  keep  the  piled-up 
earth  in  place. 

Along  the  dirt  walls  on  each  side  are  rows  of 
telephone  wires.  These  belong  principally  to 
the  artillery  batteries.  Failing  to  get  a  direct 
whack  at  a  communication  trench,  the  Germans 
are  fond  of  shelling  "at  it"  nevertheless.  In 
consequence,  their  shrapnel  does  much  damage 
to  the  top  and  sides  of  it.  After  a  bombard- 
ment it  keeps  both  engineers  and  sappers 
(wiring  men)  busy  putting  it  in  order  again. 
Often  the  wares  become  so  tangled  that  the 
various  artillery  signalers  have  great  difficulty 
in  locating  their  own. 

In  going  to  an  advanced  first-aid  dugout  to 
have  their  slight  wounds  dressed,  Schnitzel  and 
Bob  had  traveled  back  a  little  way  through  one 
of  these  trenches.  By  daylight  it  was  teeming 
with  activity.  They  passed  sappers,  engineers 
and  various  worried-looking  persons,  all  of 
whom  were  busy  putting  the  place  to  rights 
after  the  attack  of  the  morning. 

Bob,  in  particular,  was  so  much  impressed  by 


DETAILED  TO  SCOUTING  DUTY     109 

what  he  had  seen  that,  before  going  to  sleep 
after  breakfast,  he  wrote  down  a  detailed  de- 
scription of  the  communication  trench  as  it  ap- 
peared to  him.  Proudly  exhibiting  it  to  Koger, 
he  met  with  a  severe  shock. 

"You'd  better  tear  that  up  quick,"  was 
Boger's  stern  advice.  "You  mustn't  carry  it 
around  with  you.  Suppose  you  got  the  order 
to  go  over  the  top.  You'd  go  and  maybe  get 
killed.  Then  some  Boche  might  get  hold  of  that 
paper.     It's  information,  you  know." 

"Oh,  I'd  tear  it  up  if  I  knew  I  was  going 
over,"  asserted  Bob. 

"You  might  forget  to  do  it.  Better  be  on 
the  safe  side  and  can  it." 

Grumbling  a  little,  Bob  reduced  the  fateful 
paper  to  bits. 

"I  guess  I  won't  gather  much  data  in  this 
dump,"  was  his  regretful  opinion.  "If  I  write 
it  in  billet  and  try  to  send  it  home  to  Mrs. 
Blaise,  the  censor '11  probably  can  it.  I'll  have 
to  keep  it  all  in  my  head.  If  a  shell  takes  my 
head  off,  it'll  be  a  great  loss  to  the  literary 
world  and  a  greater  one  to  Bobby." 

"When  the  war's  over  and  you  get  back  *to 
the  U.  S.  you  can  scribble  all  you  want  to  and 
no  one  will  stop  you, ' '  consoled  Jimmy.  ' '  Won 't 
that  be  nice?" 

"Yes,  when  it  is  and  when  I  do  is  something 
to  gamble  on,"  jeered  Bob.  "Another  such 
shindig  as  this  morning  and  Bobby  may  be 


110    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

taking  a  little  trip  West.  I'm  going  to 
sleep  and  forget  this  pesky  old  ditch  for  a 
while." 

Awakened  toward  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon to  relieve  men  who  had  been  on  duty,  the 
five  Brothers  were  kept  busy  by  various  tasks 
which  they  were  called  npon  to  perform.  Quiet 
still  prevailing,  evening  drew  on  with  no  signs 
of  immediate  hostilities  on  the  part  of  the  foe. 
All  day  they  had  prudently  kept  the  smoke  cur- 
tain across  their  lines  in  order  to  conceal  their 
activities  from  the  Americans. 

Shortly  before  dark  Jimmy  Blaise  was  set 
aquiver  with  excitement  when  he  received  in- 
formation that  he  had  been  chosen  to  make  one 
of  a  scouting  party  who  were  to  go  out  on  a 
scouting  expedition  into  No  Man's  Land. 

The  party  was  to  start  out  at  ten  o  'clock  and 
creep  across  to  the  German  lines  in  order  to 
discover  whether  the  Boches  had  repaired  their 
wire  entanglements  or  had  still  left  lanes  in 
them,  preparatory  to  making  a  raid  that  night. 
They  were  also  instructed  to  keep  their  eyes 
and  ears  open  for  anything  else  that  might  fall 
to  their  lot  to  see  or  hear. 

Realizing  that  this  scouting  duty  might  be 
his  last,  Jimmy  sought  out  his  bunkies  for  a 
farewell  word.  Though  it  was  still  light,  the 
order  "stand  to"  had  gone  forth  and  half  of 
the  occupants  of  the  front-line  trench  ranged 
along  the  fire   step  with  bayonets  fixed  and 


\ 


DETAILED  TO  SCOUTING  DUTY     111 

ready.    The  other  half  were  still  resting  in  the 
dugouts. 

"I'm  going  ont  as  a  scout,"  he  informed  Bob, 
who  was  nearest  to  him. 

"You  don't  say!    Take  me  along!" 

"Wish  I  could.  I  don't  know  who  all  is  in 
the  gang.  Lieutenant  Redmond's  in  com- 
mand," Jimmy  replied.  "I've  got  to  beat  it 
and  see  the  fellows  before  dark.  Now  will  be 
my  only  chance  to  get  a  word  with  'em.  We  're 
to  start  out  at  ten.  See  you  again  in  a  few 
minutes." 

So  saying,  Jimmy  went  on  down  the  trench 
to  where  Ignace,  Roger  and  Schnitzel  were 
usually  stationed.  He  was  not  sure  whether 
they  were  on  duty  or  in  a  dugout.  He  soon 
came  upon  them.  They  were  seated  on  the 
fire  step  not  very  far  apart. 

Jimmy's  news  brought  a  shadow  of  deep 
gloom  to  Ignace 's  solemn  face. 

"I  no  like,"  he  said  sadly.  "I  would  by  you 
go  the  care  you  to  take.  You  no  come  back,  I 
hope  shail  hit  me  then  pretty  quick." 

"Cheer  up,  Iggins.  I'll  come  back.  Now 
shake  hands.  Not  good-bye.  Just  for  luck.  I'll 
see  you  again  to-night  all  right." 

Ignace  looked  his  deep  distress  as  he  mourn- 
fully shook  his  Brother's  hand.  He  would  not 
have  minded  going  out  on  such  a  hazardous 
enterprise,  but  he  hated  to  see  Jimmy  go. 

Roger  accepted  the  news  very  quietly.   There 


112    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

was  a  wistful  look  in  his  blue  eyes,  however,  as 
his  hand  met  Jimmy's. 

"Do  be  careful,  Blazes,"  he  urged.  "Don't 
jump  headfirst  into  something  without  looking 
before  you  jump.  You're  too  blamed  venture- 
some for  your  own  good,  you  know." 

"I'll  be  a  regular  slippery  sleuth,"  Jimmy 
promised  as  he  left  Roger  to  go  on  to  Schnitzel. 

"Schnitz,"  he  began,  "I'm  going  out  on  a 
scouting  party.    I " 

"So  am  I,"  was  the  amazing  response. 

"Under  Lieutenant  Redmond  V9  was 
Jimmy's  excited  query. 

"Yep." 

"Good  work!"  Jimmy  brightened  visibly. 
"Then  we're  in  the  same  detail.  It  certainly 
suits  Blazes." 

"That's  fine,"  glowed  Schnitzel.  "I  was  go- 
ing to  wait  till  a  little  later  and  tell  you  fellows. 
I  intended  to  ask  leave  to  have  a  word  with  you 
and  Bob  before  I  went." 

Together  the  two  walked  to  where  Roger 
and  Ignace  were  stationed.  Pausing  only  to 
shake  hands  again  with  both,  Jimmy  went  on 
to  his  station,  leaving  Schnitzel  with  his  other 
two  bunkies. 

Shortly  afterward  Schnitzel  came  to  bid  Bob 
farewell.  The  latter  did  not  look  as  cheerful 
as  usual.  Jimmy  had  already  informed  him 
that  Schnitzel  was  also  to  be  one  of  the  party. 
Two  bunkies  going  on  a  danger  hike  into  No 


DETAILED  TO  SCOUTING  DUTY     113 

Man's  Land  made  Bob  feel  rather  downcast. 
He  kept  his  feelings  to  himself,  however. 

The  same  yearning  light  that  had  darkened 
Koger's  blue  eyes  leaped  into  Bob's  black  ones 
as  he  shook  hands  with  Schnitz  and  wished  him 
a  safe  return.  He  could  not  help  thinking  that 
it  would  be  a  miracle  if  either  Schnitz  or  Jimmy 
Blazes  got  back  from  the  detail  alive. 


CHAPTER  XV 


OUT  IN  NO  MANS  LAND 


AT  exactly  ten  o'clock  a  cautious  little 
party  of  nine  men  went  through  an  em- 
brasure in  their  own  fire  trench  and  set 
stealthy  feet  upon  No  Man's  Land.  Besides 
Lieutenant  Redmond  and  the  two  non-coms, 
Jimmy  and  Schnitzel,  there  were  three  veteran 
infantrymen  and  three  from  the  509th  Regi- 
ment. Lieutenant  Redmond  was  also  of  the 
veteran  contingent. 

Safely  on  the  ground,  they  passed  through  a 
lane  purposely  cut  for  exit  in  their  own  barbed 
wire.  For  a  few  feet  they  walked  along,  the 
officer  in  the  center.  The  sending  up  of  a  Ger- 
man star  shell  caused  the  whole  party  to  drop 
like  a  flash  and  hug  the  ground. 

These  star  shells  are  used  at  night  by  both 
sides  for  the  purpose  of  illuminating  No  Man's 
Land.  They  are  fired  from  a  tube  somewhat 
resembling  a  pistol.  When  fired,  they  hang  in 
the  air  for  about  twenty  seconds,  giving  forth  a 

114 


OUT  IN  NO  MAN'S  LAND  115 

radiant,  silvery  light,  highly  betraying  to  a 
scouting  party. 

Each  member  of  the  scouting  party  was 
armed  with  a  bayonet  and  knife.  Lieutenant 
Redmond  was  the  only  one  of  them  to  carry  a 
pistol.  Should  they  encounter  a  German  pa- 
trol or  scouting  party  they  would  be  obliged 
to  engage  in  hand-to-hand  combat  with  its  mem- 
bers. Battles  such  as  they  might  have  to  en- 
gage in  had  to  be  fought  out  in  the  dark  with 
noiseless  weapons.  The  crack  of  a  rifle  or  a 
pistol  would  immediately  draw  down  upon  the 
scouts  the  machine-gun  fire  from  both  sides, 
with  the  result  that  neither  Boches  nor  Sam- 
mies would  escape. 

Following  the  ascent  into  the  air  of  the  star 
shell  that  had  flattened  the  scouts  to  the  ground, 
they  separated,  Lieutenant  Redmond  and  two 
infantrymen  crawling  away  together,  the  others 
in  pairs.  The  point  in  their  own  sector  from 
which  they  had  made  exit  was  nearest  to  the 
German  fire  trench. 

Jimmy  found  himself  creeping  slowly  along 
over  the  rough,  uneven  ground  in  company  with 
one  of  the  veteran  Americans.  On  they  went, 
side  by  side,  scarcely  breathing.  Frequently 
they  had  to  flatten  themselves  to  the  ground 
on  account  of  star  shells.  Numerous  shell  holes 
also  afforded  them  considerable  cover.  They 
had  to  be  specially  careful,  however,  of  these 
same  holes.     To   drop   suddenly  into   one   of 


116    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

them,  unawares,  they  were  likely  to  make 
enough  noise  to  attract  the  attention  of  some 
sharp-eared  enemy  scout  or  perhaps  a  Boche 
sentry. 

Little  by  little  the  two  wormed  their  way 
across  No  Man's  Land  until  at  length  they 
reached  the  Boche  wire  entanglements.  Here 
the  two  separated,  to  travel  in  opposite  direc- 
tions along  the  wire,  feeling  every  inch  of  it 
to  determine  if  it  were  open  at  any  point.  The 
patrol  had  been  divided  so  that  each  man  had 
a  certain  section  of  enemy  wire  to  account  for. 

His  first  feeling  of  nervousness  vanished, 
Jimmy  was  beginning  rather  to  enjoy  his  noc- 
turnal adventure.  Strongly  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  daring,  this  hazardous  expedition  ap- 
pealed to  him  immensely.  His  right  hand 
grasping  his  bayonet,  his  left  lightly  investi- 
gated the  wire  as  he  moved  slowly  along. 

Instantly  afterward  his  heart  almost  skipped 
a  beat.  His  alert  ears  had  caught  the  sound 
of  voices,  speaking  in  the  guttural  Boche 
tongue.  He  knew  that  these  voices  proceeded 
from  the  enemy  fire  trench.  He  wished  he 
could  understand  German. 

Pausing  briefly  to  listen,  he  again  started  on. 
Grasping  the  wire,  his  hand  moved  gingerly 
along  it.  He  stifled  a  little  gasp  as  the  grop- 
ing hand  suddenly  dropped  into  space.  Quick 
investigation  revealed  to  him  that  he  had  dis- 
covered the  very  thing  he  had  been  sent  out 


OUT  IN  NO  MAN'S  LAND  117 

to  learn.  He  had  come  upon  a  clean  severing 
of  the  wires  for  a  distance  of  about  two  feet. 

Jimmy  also  discovered  something  else  in  the 
same  moment.  He  landed  squarely  upon  a 
form  lying  flat  on  the  ground.  Involuntarily 
a  whispered  ''Great  Guns!"  issued  from  his 
lips. 

"Blazes!" 

Jimmy's  incautious  utterance  alone  saved 
him  from  bayoneting  his  own  bunkie,  Franz 
Schnitzel.  Had  Schnitzel  not  recognized  him 
and  whispered  his  name,  Jimmy's  bayonet 
would  have  done  its  deadly  work. 

In  the  darkness  the  two  clung  to  each  other 
without  speaking.  Each  was  trembling  at  the 
narrowly  averted  tragedy.  As  they  lay  there, 
the  sound  of  voices  from  the  trench  could  be 
plainly  heard. 

A  quick  pressure  of  his  arm  by  Schnitzel  in- 
formed Jimmy  that  Schnitz,  at  least,  could  un- 
derstand what  was  being  voiced  by  the  near-by 
enemy.  Still  holding  to  Jimmy's  arm,  Schnitzel 
began  to  edge  along.  Obediently  Jimmy  fol- 
lowed him  in  the  direction  from  which  the  Ger- 
man-American had  come  when  the  two  bun- 
kies  had  fallen  over  each  other.  A  few  feet 
and  Jimmy  understood.  They  were  descending 
into  a  shell  hole  directly  below  the  barbed- wire 
entanglement. 

Hardly  had  they  reached  it  when  a  star  shell 
went  up  and  hung  directly  over  the  spot  they 


118    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

had  just  left.  The  shell  crater  was  deep 
enough,  however,  to  convince  them  that  they 
could  not  have  been  seen  from  the  enemy's  fire 
trench. 

For  half  an  hour  they  lay  there,  scarcely 
making  a  movement,  while  Schnitzel  listened  to 
the  talk  that  went  on  in  the  trench.  One  of  the 
voices  heard  almost  continually  had  a  harsh, 
authoritative  ring.  It  gave  Jimmy  the  impres- 
sion that  it  must  undoubtedly  belong  to  a  Ger- 
man officer.  He  wished  he  could  understand 
what  the  Boche  was  saying. 

At  last  Jimmy  felt  Schnitzel's  hand  press 
over  his  body  until  it  reached  his  head.  An  in- 
stant and  Schnitzel's  lips  against  his  left  ear 
breathed : 

' '  Back  to  our  lines  quickly ! ' ' 

Immediately  the  German-American  began 
wriggling  along,  Jimmy  following. 

Presently  they  were  out  of  the  shell  hole  and 
had  turned  themselves  toward  their  own  lines. 
Although  the  scouting  party  had  started  out  to- 
gether, the  men  had  been  ordered  to  return 
singly  or  in  couples  to  the  American  lines, 
using  their  own  discretion  as  to  the  length  of 
time  they  remained  out. 

Now  began  the  ticklish  task  of  crawling 
safely  back  to  their  own  trenches.  The  nearer 
they  came  to  the  center  of  No  Man's  Land  the 
greater  grew  their  danger.  Jimmy  knew  that 
Schnitzel's    desire    to    reach    the    American 


OUT  IN  NO  MAN'S  LAND  119 


trenches  quickly  meant  that  he  had  learned 
something  of  decided  importance. 

Coming  to  a  shell  hole  a  little  over  halfway 
across  the  danger  land,  Schnitzel  pulled  him 
into  it.  One  side  of  this  crater  projected  over, 
forming  a  little  cave  underneath  it.  Into  this, 
as  far  back  as  he  could  go,  Schnitzel  piloted 
Jimmy. 

"Listen,"  he  breathed.  "I've  got  to  tell  you 
this  in  case  anything  should  happen  to  me  be- 
fore we  get  back.  The  Boches  are  going  to  try 
another  raid  at  four  o'clock.  They're  going  to 
open  fire  at  two  o'clock.  One  of  their  crack 
Prussian  regiments  has  just  come  into  the  fire 
trench.  No  matter  what  our  guns  do,  they're 
coming  over,  several  waves  of  them.  They're 
going  to  use  extra  batteries  of  their  biggest 
guns  to  smash  our  defenses.  They're  after 
prisoners  to  torture.  I  heard  'em  brag  what 
they're  going  to  do  to  the  dogs  of  Americans. 
Now  I'm  going  to  get  out  of  here  and  beat  it 
for  our  lines.  Wait  what  you  think  to  be  ten 
minutes,  and  then  follow  me.  One  of  us  surely 
will  get  back  with  the  word.  Good-bye,  Blazes. 
If  I  don't  see  you  again  I'd  like  you  to  remem- 
ber what  I  say  now:  'You're  the  whitest  guy  I 
ever  knew  and  I  love  you!'  " 

"You're  the  bravest  old  sport  I  ever  knew, 
and  I'm  all  there  with  the  reciprocity  stuff," 
Jimmy  whispered  tensely. 

The  two  bunkies  gripped  each  other's  hands 


120    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

hard  in  the  darkness.  Then  Schnitzel  began  to 
crawl  away  and  out  of  the  crater. 

Directly  he  had  gone,  Jimmy  crouched  in  the 
little  cave,  his  ears  straining  to  catch  any  sound 
that  might  proclaim  disaster  to  his  bunkie. 
Save  for  the  occasional  hiss  of  an  ascending 
star  shell,  he  could  distinguish  not  even  the 
faintest  noise  of  a  suspicious  nature. 

Waiting  until  he  judged  the  ten  minutes  to 
have  expired,  he  began  his  own  perilous  exit 
from  the  shell  crater.  He  knew  that  the  cave 
itself  lay  toward  the  German  trenches.  Crawl- 
ing out  of  it  he  must  continue  straight  ahead. 
The  open  side  of  the  crater  was  toward  the 
American  lines.  He  could  only  hope  that 
Schnitzel  had  also  remembered  this. 

Climbing  out  of  the  hole,  he  decided  upon  a 
brave  but  reckless  course  of  action.  Getting  to 
his  feet  he  started  for  his  own  trenches,  run- 
ning lightly  on  his  tiptoes.  He  knew  that  he 
was  likely  to  crash  headlong  into  a  shell  crater, 
or  that  a  star  shell  might  suddenly  outline  his 
upright  running  form  with  its  silvery  light. 
Still,  he  took  a  desperate  chance  on  his  fleet- 
ness  of  foot  to  reach  his  goal.  Not  for  nothing 
had  he  won  the  hundred-yard  dash  at  prep, 
school. 

Luck  was  surely  with  him  that  night.  He 
reached  the  American  barbed  wires  without  a 
single  mishap,  was  challenged  by  a  sentry,  and 
passed  on  safely  into  the  fire  trench. 


OUT  IN  NO  MAN'S  LAND  121 

The  first  man  encountered  in  the  dugout, 
where  he  had  been  ordered  to  report  on  return, 
was  Lieutenant  Redmond,  who  had  just  re- 
turned, his  uniform  covered  with  mud  and  a 
gash  across  one  cheek. 

''Has  Corporal  Schnitzel  returned,  sir?" 
was  Jimmy's  anxious  question. 

"No.  You  are  the  first  man  back  besides 
myself  and  one  of  the  men  who  went  with  me. 
My  other  man,  Drayton,  was  killed.  We  had 
a  fight  with  two  Boches.  We  killed  both,  but 
I  lost  a  good  man." 

The  lieutenant's  voice  was  choked  with  anger. 
Drayton  had  been  the  best  man  in  his  pla- 
toon. 

"I'm  sorry,  sir.  I'm  glad  you  did  up  the 
Boches  and  got  back  safe.  I  haven't  time  to 
tell  you  the  details  of  what  happened  to 
Schnitzel  and  me.  The  Boches  are  going  to  at- 
tack at  two  o'clock  and  come  over  at  four.  A 
crack  Prussian  regiment  is  now  in  their  trenches 
and " 

"Come  with  me  to  headquarters!" 

With  this  explosive  command  the  lieutenant 
dashed  out  of  the  dugout,  Jimmy  at  his  heels. 
As  he  followed  the  officer's  hurrying  feet 
through  the  trench,  Jimmy's  mind  was  not  on 
the  coming  attack  but  on  Schnitzel.  Had  their 
good-bye  in  the  little  cave  been  a  final  fare- 
well? Had  No  Man's  Land  really  "got" 
Schnitz? 


CHAPTER  XVI 

FOREWARNED  IS  FOREARMED 

IT  seemed  to  Jimmy  Blaise  that  he  mast  have 
stayed  a  very  long  time  in  No  Man's  Land. 
In  reality  he  had  been  away  from  his  own 
lines  hardly  more  than  two  honrs.  It  had 
been  only  a  little  after  midnight  when  he  re- 
turned with  the  important  communications 
intrusted  to  him  by  the  still  absent  Franz 
Schnitzel. 

The  information  Schnitzel  had  gleaned  set 
headquarters  in  an  orderly  flurry  of  industrious 
preparation  to  beat  Fritz  at  his  own  game.  The 
wires  of  the  communication  trenches  hummed 
continually  with  messages  to  the  American  bat- 
teries behind  the  lines.  By  one  o'clock  every 
man  of  the  front-line  trench  units  was  "  stand- 
ing to"  on  the  fire  step  ready  to  give  the 
Boches  a  warm  reception. 

In  darkness  and  in  discreet  silence  the  work 
of  preparation  went  on.  Every  possible  pre- 
caution was  taken  to  spring  upon  the  Fritzies 

122 


FOREWARNED  IS  FOREARMED       123 

the  surprise  they  trustingly  expected  to  launch 
at  the  Sammies. 

With  the  exception  of  Schnitzel  the  remain- 
der of  the  scouting  party  had  all  returned  by  a 
little  before  one  o'clock.  They  reported  the 
finding  of  lanes  cut  in  the  enemy's  wire  entan- 
glements, but  that  was  all.  Stellar  honors  had 
fallen  to  Schnitzel,  whose  knowledge  of  the 
German  language  had  enabled  him  to  obtain 
such  valuable  information.  Schnitzel,  however, 
did  not  appear  to  claim  them.  His  mantle  had 
partially  dropped  upon  Jimmy's  shoulders. 

Jimmy  had  been  roundly  commended  at  head- 
quarters for  his  work  that  night.  Ordering  him 
to  be  brief,  the  commanding  officer  had  re- 
quested him  to  give  an  account  of  his  scouting 
in  No  Man's  Land.  In  telling  his  story,  Jimmy 
gave  Schnitzel  full  credit,  explaining  that  he 
had  been  merely  the  German- American 's  mes- 
senger. 

He  left  headquarters  with  a  heavy  heart. 
The  fact  that  Schnitz  had  not  reported  there 
proved  him  to  be  still  absent.  Jimmy  was 
fairly  sure  that  the  American  batteries  would 
open  fire  before  long,  thus  stealing  a  march 
upon  the  enemy.  The  Boches  would  then  get 
busy.  What  if  Schnitzel  were  lying  wounded 
upon  No  Man's  Land?  He  would  then  be  under 
the  fire  of  both  sides.  And  he  had  been  the 
one  to  warn  his  own  side  of  the  purposed  bom- 
bardment !    It  was  too  horrible  to  contemplate ! 


124    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Back  in  his  own  place  in  the  fire  trench, 
Schnitzel's  fate  continued  to  haunt  the  heart- 
sick sergeant.  Perhaps  Schnitz  was  already 
dead.  Perhaps  he  had  gone  down  in  hand-to- 
hand  conflict  directly  after  he  and  Jimmy  had 
parted.  Again,  he  might  now  be  a  prisoner. 
That  would  be  even  worse  than  death.  As  a 
German-American  the  Boches  would  wreak  a 
ghastly  vengeance  upon  Schnitzel. 

Shuddering,  Jimmy  felt  that  he  would  prefer 
his  bunkie  to  be  dead  rather  than  the  prisoner 
of  such  inhuman  fiends. 

If  only  he  could  talk  to  someone.  Bob  was 
not  far  away.  He  might  just  as  well  be  a  thou- 
sand miles  off.  In  that  dark  hour  of  waiting 
not  a  word  more  could  be  even  whispered  that 
was  not  actually  necessary.  Jimmy  did  not 
know  that  the  rest  of  the  scouting  party  had 
returned.  He  judged  it  to  be  at  least  one 
o'clock.  The  German  bombardment  was  to  be- 
gin at  two.  He  wondered  how  soon  the  Ameri- 
can batteries  would  open  up. 

At  precisely  half-past  one  the  intense  quiet 
of  the  night  was  shattered  by  the  terrific  roar 
of  American  batteries  concentrated  on  the 
Boche  trenches.  A  blinding  red  glare  lighted 
up  the  sky  at  the  rear  of  the  Sammies '  trenches. 
Over  their  heads  shells  screamed  their  devas- 
tating way  across  No  Man's  Land.  Above  the 
terrible  din  came  the  sighing  moan  of  shells 
from  the  big  guns.     The  American  batteries 


FOREWARNED  IS  FOREARMED       125 

were  at  it  in  earnest.  With  one  accord  the 
Sammies  leaped  to  the  fire  step  and  peered  over 
the  top  of  the  parapet.  It  was  too  glorious  a 
display  of  fireworks  to  miss.  The  Fritzies  were 
getting  a  real  "strafeing"  and  the  Khaki  Boys 
proposed  to  see  all  that  there  was  to  be  seen. 

Undoubtedly  the  Fritzies  were  amazed  to 
discover  that  their  trap  had  been  neatly  sprung 
on  them.  Very  soon,  however,  their  own  guns 
began  to  send  over  shells,  causing  the  fire-step 
audience  to  get  down  into  the  trenches  again. 
Boche  shells  began  to  hit  the  American  fire 
trench,  shattering  portions  of  its  parapet  and 
dealing  out  death  to  the  men  behind  it.  The 
fight  was  on  in  earnest. 

One  shell  landed  just  behind  a  parados,  kill- 
ing five  men  and  causing  the  dirt  to  spout  up- 
ward like  a  fountain.  Another  ripped  away  a 
section  of  parapet,  wiping  out  half  a  dozen 
brave  fellows. 

Yet  for  every  one  shell  the  enemy  sent  over, 
the  Sammy  batteries  had  five  with  which  to 
meet  it.  So  heavy  and  concentrated  was  the 
fire  of  the  American  guns  that  it  seemed  as 
though  the  German  front-line  trench  must  soon 
be  utterly  demolished  by  it. 

In  the  glaring  light  made  by  exploding  shells, 
enemy  forms  could  be  plainly  seen  through  the 
gaps  rent  in  their  parapet. 

American  machine  guns,  trained  on  these 
gaps,  sent  forth  a  raking  fire  of  bullets.  Though 


126    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

the  Sammies  were  having  a  hard  enough  time 
of  it,  the  Boches  were  faring  far  worse. 

For  two  hours  the  bombardment  continued 
unceasingly  on  both  sides.  Toward  daylight 
the  German  batteries  put  up  a  heavy  barrage 
fire,  which  indicated  that  they  intended  to  come 
over  despite  the  frightful  casualties  they  must 
have  clicked. 

The  night  had  seen  many  Sammies  fall  to 
rise  no  more,  and  in  the  American  fire  trench 
the  stretcher-bearers  were  constantly  traveling 
up  and  down,  bearing  away  the  wounded. 

The  dead  had  to  lie  in  the  trench.  Not  until 
later  would  the  rushed  first-aid  men  have  time 
to  take  them  away. 

Still  the  fire  step  was  lined  with  intrepid 
Khaki  Boys,  who  proposed  to  sell  their  lives 
dearly  when  at  close  grip  with  their  hated  an- 
tagonists. 

Just  at  daybreak  the  German  barrage  lire 
suddenly  lifted.  Down  the  American  line  the 
order  was  passed  to  be  ready.  It  was  a  never- 
to-be-forgotten  moment  for  the  Khaki  Boys 
when  they  heard  the  man  at  the  periscope 
shout : 

"The  Boches  are  coming  over!" 

Mounted  on  the  fire  step,  rifles  ready,  the 
Khaki  Boys  saw  wave  upon  wave  of  grayish- 
green-clad  figures  leaving  their  trenches  to 
charge  across  No  Man's  Land,  shooting  from 
the    hip    as    they   trotted    doggedly    forward, 


FOREWARNED  IS  FOREARMED       127 

driven  like  cattle  by  their  officers.  A  German 
officer  never  leads  his  men. 

Before  they  had  traversed  a  dozen  yards  of 
No  Man's  Land  an  advanced  American  battery 
opened  fire  on  that  moving  gray  mass.  Other 
American  batteries  began  to  speak  and  Sammy 
machine  gnns  and  rifles  mowed  them  down  with 
a  merciless  hail  of  bullets. 

Completely  demoralized  by  the  wholesale 
slaughter  of  their  comrades  many  of  the  Boches 
threw  down  their  guns  and  ran  for  the  Ameri- 
can trenches  to  give  themselves  up.  They 
could  never  have  lived  to  get  back  to  their  own 
trenches.  They  had  started  across  to  take  pris- 
oners.   Now  they  were  glad  to  become  prisoners. 

Thus  ended  the  Boche  raid  which,  thanks  to 
Franz  Schnitzel,  had  been  so  effectively 
checked.  The  raid  having  failed  utterly,  the 
German  guns  suddenly  slackened  their  fire. 
Gradually  the  American  batteries  ceased.  Soon 
quiet  settled  down  upon  that  scene  of  carnage ; 
a  stillness  that  was  almost  uncanny  after  the 
terrible  racket  that  had  made  night  hideous. 

Details  of  Sammies  herded  their  prisoners 
together  and  marched  them  off  through  the 
American  trenches.  What  might  have  been  a 
dreadful  defeat  to  Uncle  Sam's  Boys  had 
turned  into  a  glorious  victory.  And  all  because 
of  one  man,  who,  perhaps,  was  long  since 
beyond  knowledge  of  the  great  service  he  had 
rendered  his  country. 


CHAPTER  XVn 


missing:  a  brother 


IN  the  bright  snnlight  of  early  morning,  No 
Man's  Land  was  a  sight  to  behold.  It  was 
fairly  covered  with  grayish-green  forms, 
rifles,  tin  cups  and  accoutrements  belonging  to 
Fritz.  Here  and  there  one  of  the  grayish- 
green  figures  was  seen  to  move  feebly.  The 
majority,  however,  lay  motionless.  Uncle 
Sam's  rifles  and  machine  guns  had  done  their 
deadly  work  only  too  well. 

As  for  the  German  front-line  trench,  it  was 
practically  ruined.  That  it  was  still  inhabited 
was  proven  by  bullets  which  whined  across  No 
Man's  Land  every  time  a  Sammy  chanced  to 
expose  his  body  ever  so  little.  Sammy  sharp- 
shooters were  also  on  the  job,  returning  the 
compliment  with  interest  when  the  least  sign  of 
a  Hun  was  visible. 

Looking  through  the  periscope  at  the  wreck 
across  the  way,  Jimmy  Blaise  again  marveled 
that  he  was  alive  and  unhurt.    Compared  to  the 

128 


MISSING:  A  BROTHER 129 

bombardment  of  last  night  his  first  experience 
of  being  under  fire  seemed  mild.  He  wondered 
that  so  many  of  his  comrades  were  still  left  in 
the  fire  trench,  practically  uninjured. 

The  American  fire  trench  itself  was  a  sick- 
ening sight.  It  was  sticky  with  mud  and  blood 
and  littered  with  the  shattered  bodies  of  dead 
Sammies,  each  in  itself  a  ghastly  horror. 

Here  and  there  detached  arms  and  legs 
added  to  the  gruesome  Spectacle.  Not  far  from 
where  Jimmy  stood  at  the  periscope  lay  the 
head  and  trunk  of  a  Khaki  Boy  cut  fairly  in 
two  by  an  exploding  shell. 

As  yet  the  stretcher-bearers  were  too  busy  to 
remove  these  dreadful  evidences  of  the  night  of 
carnage  through  which  Jimmy  had  somehow 
passed  unscathed. 

Since  the  cessation  of  firing  on  both  sides  he 
had  been  picking  his  way  through  the  trench, 
seeking  his  bunkies.  His  search,  thus  far, 
fruitless,  Jimmy  had  paused  briefly  to  look 
through  the  periscope. 

He  was  savagely  glad  at  the  slaughtered 
Boches  it  revealed,  yet  his  real  object  in  view- 
ing bloody  No  Man's  Land  was  to  see  if,  among 
that  gray-green  assemblage  of  motionless,  dis- 
torted shapes,  he  could  catch  a  flash  of  olive 
drab  uniform  that  had  once  held  a  living, 
breathing  bunkie,  Franz  Schnitzel. 

Unable  to  discover  that  which  his  straining 
eyes  eagerly  sought,  he  turned  away  from  the 


130    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

periscope  and  stumbled  on  down  the  trench, 
blinded  by  the  swift  blur  of  tears.  Where  was 
Schnitz,  and  would  he  presently  come  upon 
Iggy,  Bob  and  Roger,  or  what  had  once  been 
his  three  Brothers  ? 

He  had  hoped  to  find  Dalton  easily,  as  their 
stations  were  so  close  together,  but  he  had  seen 
no  trace  of  cheery  old  Bob.  His  spirits  dropped 
to  zero,  Jimmy  poked  a  disconsolate  head  into 
a  dugout.  It  was  filled  with  wan-faced,  dishev- 
eled men,  nearly  all  of  whom  had  sustained 
minor  injuries,  which  they  were  attending  to 
themselves  with  the  help  of  first-aid  packets. 

Uttering  a  loud  cry,  Jimmy  suddenly  bolted 
into  the  dugout  and  straight  to  a  corner  where 
a  man  was  engaged  in  binding  up  the  injured 
wrist  of  another. 

' '  Oh,  you  two ! "  he  choked. 

Dropping  down  at  the  feet  of  the  busy  pair 
he  buried  his  face  in  his  hands,  sobbing  out  of 
sheer  nervous  relief. 

' '  My  ver '  bes '  Brothar ! ' ' 

His  wounded  wrist  forgotten,  Ignace  Pulin- 
ski  jerked  away  from  Roger  Barlow  and 
plumped  down  beside  Jimmy,  hugging  the  lat- 
ter with  his  well  arm. 

"Blazes !"  was  all  Roger  could  say  as  he  bent 
and  laid  a  hand  on  Jimmy's  shoulder. 

"Gee,  but  I'm  a  big  baby!"  Jimmy  raised 
his  head  and  beamed  at  his  bunkies  with  wet 
eyes.    "I  guess  I'm  all  in.    I've  seen  so  many 


MISSING:  A  BROTHER 131 

dead  ones  in  the  last  few  minutes  that  I  conld 
hardly  believe  my  own  eyes  when  I  lamped  you 
two. 

"Let  go  of  me,  you  old  Polish  bear!"  This 
affectionately  to  Ignace,  whose  good  arm  still 
encircled  his  neck.  "Up  on  your  feet  and  get 
that  wrist  fixed.  You've  pulled  the  bandage 
almost  off  of  it." 

Getting  to  his  own  feet,  Jimmy  hauled 
Ignace  to  a  standing  position. 

"Now  stand  still,  Iggins,  and  let  me  do  you 
up,"  he  commanded.  "Does  it  hurt  you 
much?" 

"No-a.  Never  I  feel  sooch  hurt.  It  is  the 
little  one  from  the  piece  shail.  It  is  the  hurt 
here."  Ignace 's  well  hand  touched  the  region 
of  his  heart.  "Think  I,  mebbe  so  is  Jimmy, 
Bob,  Schnitz,  daid.  Now  is  my  heart  better. 
Still  is  the  ache  we  don'  see  the  nothin'  Bob 
an'  Schnitz.  Eoger  have  no  get  the  scratch. 
For  that  am  I  the  glad.  Now  see  you  are  the 
all  to  him  good.    It  is  the  great  happiness. " 

"Bodge  and  I  are  a  couple  of  lucky  guys." 
Jimmy's  tones  vibrated  with  thankfulness.  "I 
can't  find  Bob.  I  think  he  must  have  been 
wounded.  His  station  was  near  mine.  I've 
hunted  all  along  there  among " 

Jimmy  paused.  The  horror  of  that  search 
robbed  him  of  words  to  continue. 

"We  were  going  to  hunt  for  you  as  soon  as 
I   tied  up   Iggy's   wrist.     We've   looked   for 


132    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Schnitz."  Roger's  voice  was  rather  unsteady. 
"His  station  was  near  ours.  I'm  afraid  he 
never  came  back " 

"He's  missing."  Jimmy  shook  his  head 
sadly.  "But  he  did  his  bit  all  right  for  the 
Army."  Triumph  rang  in  this  tribute  to  his 
absent  bunkie.  "We  met  last  night  out 
there." 

Lowering  his  voice,  Jimmy  recounted  the 
events  of  the  scouting  party.  His  gray  eyes 
glowed  with  pride  as  he  told  of  Schnitzel's 
splendid  achievement. 

"And  to  think  that  he  couldn't  be  the  one 
to  come  back  with  the  news  he  risked  his  life 
to  get !  It  makes  me  sick, ' '  Jimmy  ended  with 
a  groan. 

"Splendid  old  Schnitz,"  eulogized  Roger. 
"A  real  Brother  from  the  word  go.  I  thought 
as  much  of  him  as  of  you  and  Bob  and  Iggins, 
even  if  I  hadn't  known  him  as  long." 

"No  one  could  help  liking  him.  He  was  my 
idea  of  a  thorough-going  man.  I  know  we've 
got  to  expect  this  horrible  business  of  losing  one 
another,  but  it  comes  hard.    Tough  luck!" 

"Mebbe  Schnitz  no  daid.  Mebbe  him  pris- 
onar,"  faltered  Ignace.  "So  think  I  better  be 
daid  than  go  live  by  Boche. ' ' 

"Here,  too,"  agreed  Jimmy  bitterly.  "I'd 
rather  think  him  dead  ten  times  over  than  at 
the  mercy  of  those  black-hearted  fiends.  We 
ought  to  treat  the  prisoners  we  took  the  same 


MISSING:  A  BROTHER 133 

way  they've  threatened  to  do  to  our  men.  But 
we  won't.    We're  human  and  they're  inhuman. 

"We've  got  to  get  busy  and  find  Boh,"  he 
reminded.  "I'd  be  as  much  in  the  dumps  about 
him  as  Schnitz,  if  it  wasn't  that  I  know  that 
whatever  has  happened  to  him,  he 's  not  a  pris- 
oner of  the  Hun  dogs.  I'm  going  out  now  to 
look  again  for  him.  You  fellows  wait  here  for 
me.  We'll  soon  have  coffee  and  grub  handed 
us.  I'll  take  a  hike  up  the  trench  and  come 
back  in  time  to  eat  with  you.  Afterward  I'll 
go  at  it  again  unless  I  get  a  detail  that'll  keep 
me  from  it.  Last  night's  fracas  means  hard 
work  all  day  and  lots  of  it." 

Leaving  his  bunkies  in  the  dugout,  Jimmy 
retraced  his  steps  through  that  ghastly  lane  of 
dead  men.  Every  few  paces  he  paused  to  stare 
darkly  at  a  still  form,  the  face  of  which  was 
smashed  beyond  identification. 

Frequently  he  stooped  over  such  an  one  and 
examined  the  identification  tag  attached  to  the 
left  wrist.  He  also  kept  a  sharp  look-out  for  a 
gold  service  ring  which  Bob  had  worn  on  the 
ring  finger  of  his  right  hand.  The  four  Broth- 
ers had  service  rings  exactly  alike,  save  for  the 
initial  engraved  on  each  plate.  These  rings 
had  been  given  them  by  the  Blaises  during  that 
memorable  Christmas  furlough  spent  with 
Jimmy's  parents. 

This  careful  scrutiny  of  the  dead,  coupled 
with    the    constant    passing    to    and    fro    of 


134    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

stretcher-bearers,  made  his  progress  through 
the  trench  very  slow.  The  groans  of  the 
wounded  wrenched  his  heart.  Often  he  stopped 
and  held  his  water  bottle  to  the  lips  of  a  pain- 
crazed  Sammy,  who  moaned  piteously  for 
water.  Again  a  stretcher-bearer  would  solicit 
his  help  in  placing  a  wounded  soldier  gently 
upon  a  stretcher. 

It  was  during  one  of  these  labors  of  mercy 
that  Jimmy  stumbled  upon  news  of  Bob.  As- 
sisting a  couple  of  first-aid  men  to  place  the 
bleeding  wreck  of  an  infantryman  upon  a 
stretcher,  one  of  them  looked  sharply  over  and 
said: 

"I  think  we  took  a  friend  of  yours  back  quite 
a  while  ago.  A  black-eyed,  curly-haired  chap. 
I  saw  him  with  you  after  the  bombardment  the 
other  morning  when  we  came  up  here  to  carry 
off  the  casualties.  He  was  at  the  dugout  after- 
ward to  get  his  face  fixed  up.  The  plaster  was 
still  on  it  when  we  took  him  back  this  morning." 

''That's  Bob!  What  happened  to  him?" 
Jimmy  fairly  shouted  his  question. 

"Knocked  out  by  a  piece  of  shell.  It  grazed 
his  scalp  and  put  him  to  sleep.  Nothing  very 
serious.  Come  along  with  us  and  you  can  see 
him.  We'll  fix  it  for  you,"  was  the  kindly 
offer. 

"You're  all  to  the  mustard,"  Jimmy  re- 
sponded gratefully.  "Will  I  go  along?  Well, 
you  bet." 


MISSING:  A  BROTHER  135 

Trotting  along  behind  the  stretcher,  Jimmy 
was  soon  in  the  communication  trench.  A 
short  walk  brought  him  to  a  first-aid  dugout. 
It  was  full  of  cots,  on  which  lay  wounded  sol- 
diers, many  of  whom  would  soon  be  on  the  way 
to  a  hospital  back  of  the  lines. 

"There's  your  man."  Pointing  to  a  cot, 
the  good-natured  stretcher-bearer  immediately 
turned  to  attend  to  his  work. 

Jimmy,  however,  did  not  need  direction.  He 
had  already  spied  Bob. 

"Hello,  Blazes,"  greeted  a  faint  but  cheerful 
voice,  as  Jimmy  reached  the  cot.  Very  white, 
his  head  bandaged,  Bob's  grin  was  still  in  evi- 
dence. 

Tears  again  rushed  to  Jimmy's  eyes  as  he 
grabbed  the  hand  Bob  stretched  out  to  him. 

"I've  been  hunting  you  ever  since  the  guns 
quit,"  he  said  brokenly.  "Are  you  hurt  any 
place  besides  your  head?" 

"Nope.  A  piece  of  shell  barked  my  vener- 
able cocoanut.  The  rainmaker  had  to  put  a 
few  stitches  in  it.  It's  all  right  now.  I'm  going 
to  dig  out  of  here  first  chance  I  get.  I'll  be 
back  in  the  nice  safe  fire  trench  before  night. 
Just  watch  my  speed.  Maybe  I'm  not  tickled 
to  see  you,  you  blazing  Blazes!  What  about 
Roger,  Iggy  and  Schnitz?" 

Bob's  voice  rose  in  worried  alarm. 

"Roger  is  0.  K.  Iggy  got  his  wrist  gashed 
by  a  bit  of  shell.    Schnitz " 


136     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


Jimmy  gulped. 

"Gone  West?" 

The  question  came  almost  in  a  whisper. 

"Missing.  Never  came  back  from  No  Man's 
Land." 

Rapidly  Jimmy  again  related  all  he  knew  of 
Schnitzel.  When  he  had  finished,  a  heavy 
silence  descended  upon  the  two. 

"Poor  Schnitz!"  Bob  said  at  last.  "Brave, 
wonderful  Schnitz,  I  mean.  He  was  all  A.  and 
no  G.  Well,  Blazes,  it's  a  great  life,  but  it 
doesn't  last  long.  We  do  our  little  bit  of  a  bit 
and  away  we  go,  Westward  bound.  What  we 
miss  to-day  we'll  get  to-morrow,  maybe.  The 
Glory  Road  is  a  pretty  dangerous  thoroughfare 
these  days.  Just  the  same,  it's  the  only  road 
any  right-minded  fellow  can  travel.  I'm  not 
sorry  I  took  to  it.  Hope  I  last  long  enough  to 
run  a  few  Boches  into  the  ditch." 

"The  'ditch'  is  full  of  'em  this  morning," 
was  Jimmy's  grim  response.  "Most  of  that 
crack  Prussian  regiment  is  taking  a  long  sleep 
out  there  in  No  Man's  Land.  Their  fire  trench 
is  all  smashed  in  and  the  Dutchies  don't  dare 
show  a  head.  Our  fellows  are  potting  'em 
right  along.    You  ought  to  see  it. ' ' 

"I'm  going  to." 

Bob  swung  his  legs  over  the  side  of  the  cot 
and  stood  up,  swaying  a  little.  "Hang  the 
rainmakers,"  he  grumbled.  "Bobby  was  a 
sick  Sammy,  but  he's  improving  werry  fast. 


MISSING:  A  BROTHER  137 

Come  on,  let's  beat  it  out  of  here.  I'm  going 
back  to  the  fire  trench  and  enjoy  myself.  My 
pack  is  kicking  around  here  somewhere.  That 
shell  did  for  my  helmet.  You'd  better  go  on 
ahead.  I'll  follow  soon.  Goodness  knows  what 
happened  to  my  rifle.  I  can  get  another  easily 
enough. ' ' 

Jimmy  could  not  help  smiling.  Nothing 
short  of  utter  disablement  would  keep  restless 
Bob  long  in  bed. 

"You  lie  down  and  take  it  easy,"  he  ad- 
monished. "I'm  going  back  to  tell  the  fellows 
you're  still  alive  and  kicking." 

"Sure  I'm  alive,"  grinned  Bob.  "Kicking,, 
of  course  I  am.  Who  wouldn't  be?  Do  you 
think  a  little  biff  on  the  bean  is  going  to  keep 
Bobby  indoors?  Nix.  You  go  ahead  and  break 
the  glad  news  to  Iggins  and  Rodge.  I  '11  rustle 
up  my  lost  traps  and  kiss  this  place  good-bye. 
They've  got  their  hands  full  here.  They'll 
never  miss  me." 

Thus  urged,  Jimmy  left  the  first-aid  dugout 
and  hurried  back  to  the  front-line  trench  to 
apprise  his  bunkies  of  the  good  news.  Good 
old  Bob  had  been  spared  to  them.  He  thanked 
God  for  that.  Yet  his  heart  was  heavy  with 
sadness,  as  he  thought  of  Franz  Schnitzel. 

He  could  not  reconcile  himself  to  believe 
that  he  would  never  see  Schnitz  again.  Within 
him  rose  a  curious  conviction  that  their  good- 
bye in  the  shell  crater  had  not  been  a  final  fare- 


138     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


well.  He  had  a  ''hunch,"  as  it  were,  that 
Schnitz  and  himself  would  meet  again,  and  be- 
fore long. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


it's  a  great  life1 


TOWARD  noon  a  German  battery  woke 
up  and  amused  itself  by  sending  shrap- 
nel against  the  very  communication 
trench  which  was  being  used  principally  to 
carry  the  wounded  back  to  the  first-aid  dugout 
in  which  Bob  had  been  briefly  quartered.  As  a 
result,  two  stretcher  men,  as  well  as  several 
wounded  Sammies,  went  West.  Presently  an 
American  battery  got  the  range  of  the  enemy 
battery  and  silenced  it. 

All  day  sharpshooters  on  both  sides  were 
busy  picking  off  each  other's  men  as  they  la- 
bored at  re-establishing  their  front-line  de- 
fenses. As  the  Sammies  were  by  far  the  better 
marksmen,  they  did  considerably  more  dam- 
age. The  Boche  infantrymen  are  anything  but 
good  rifle  shots.  It  is  generally  conceded  that 
the  Americans  have  the  best  gunners  and 
sharpshooters  in  the  world. 

American  machine  guns  also  did  good  work 
139 


140     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

through  the  day.  So  well  did  their  gunners 
succeed  in  harassing  the  Bodies  that  when 
night  at  last  fell,  they  made  little  effort  to  go 
out  onto  No  Man's  Land  to  take  in  their  dead 
and  wounded.  Their  losses  had  been  too  heavy 
to  risk  further  casualties.  The  constant  send- 
ing up  of  American  star  shells  warned  them 
that  the  Sammies  were  keeping  a  sharp  look- 
out, ready  to  mow  them  down  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  night  passed  without  any  attempt  by  the 
Huns  to  renew  the  conflict.  Sammies  detailed 
to  listening  post  duty  came  back  with  reports 
that  Fritz  was  hard  at  work  repairing  his  badly 
demolished  fire  trench.  They  also  reported  that 
many  wounded  Germans  still  lay  neglected  and 
suffering  in  No  Man's  Land.  The  all-glorious 
Fatherland  was  not  concerning  itself  over 
these  helpless,  bleeding  husks. 

For  four  more  days  the  Khaki  Boys  contin- 
ued on  duty  in  the  front-line  trench.  During 
that  time  no  more  heavy  bombardments  were 
directed  against  them  by  the  Boches.  Plenty 
of  shrapnel  shells  continued  to  come  over. 
Most  of  them  directed  against  the  communica- 
tion trenches,  or  against  points  behind  the 
American  lines.  A  favorite  sport  of  Fritz  is 
the  shelling  of  ambulances,  carrying  wounded 
men  to  hospital. 

Those  days  of  blessed  peace  saw  the  fire 
trench  completely  restored  and  everything  run- 


"IT'S  A  GREAT  LIFE" 141 

ning  along  again  as  smoothly  as  matters  ever 
run  in  such  a  danger  spot.  It  was  believed  that 
the  Germans  were  getting  ready  for  another 
big  raid.  Scouting  aircraft  reported  the  daily 
arrival  of  fresh  troops  and  large  quantities  of 
ammunition  and  supplies  to  the  German  lines. 

During  this  lull  in  hostilities,  Bob,  Ignace, 
Jimmy  and  Roger  were  rarely  idle  long.  As 
non-coms  they  always  found  plenty  to  do.  The 
vacancies  in  their  squads  had  been  filled  by  men 
who  had  lost  squad  leaders  and  squad  comrades 
in  the  recent  bombardment. 

All  four  were  exceedingly  gloomy  over  the 
loss  of  Schnitzel.  The  uncertainty  of  his  fate 
weighed  heavily  upon  them.  Jimmy  continued 
to  maintain  his  belief  that  Schnitz  was  not 
dead.  He  had  a  fixed  idea  that  his  bunkie  was 
a  prisoner.  This  in  itself  was  signally  depress- 
ing. The  four  Brothers  would  far  rather  have 
believed  Schnitzel  to  be  dead. 

On  the  evening  of  the  eighth  day  came  the 
news  that  the  present  contingent  of  Khaki 
Boys  occupying  the  front-line  trench  were  to  be 
relieved  by  a  seasoned  American  regiment  un- 
der the  command  of  a  veteran  French  general. 
The  retiring  troops  were  to  start  at  eleven 
o'clock  that  night  for  rest  billets  in  a  village 
well  behind  the  lines.  Here  they  would  remain 
for  at  least  three  weeks  before  returning  to  the 
trenches. 

Just  before  eleven  o'clock  the  first  relief  de- 


142     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

tachment  crept  stealthily  into  the  fire  trench. 
They  had  been  hiding  all  day  in  a  pine  woods 
just  out  of  range  of  the  German  guns.  An- 
other detachment  was  concealed  in  the  ruined 
village  through  which  the  Khaki  Boys  had 
passed  on  the  way  to  the  trenches.  This  de- 
tachment would  not  arrive  at  the  front  until 
after  midnight. 

The  departing  Sammies  were  ordered  to 
make  an  absolutely  noiseless  retreat  to  rest  bil- 
lets. It  was  vitally  important  that  the  enemy 
should  not  learn  of  the  arrival  of  fresh  troops 
to  replace  the  men  who  had  completed  their 
first  trench  detail. 

Passing  with  his  comrades  through  a  com- 
munication trench  on  the  opposite  from  the  one 
used  on  the  night  of  entering  the  trenches,  it 
seemed  to  Jimmy  Blaise  a  very  long  time  since 
then.  It  was  more  like  eight  years  than  eight 
days. 

What  a  lot  a  fellow  could  stand  in  eight  days 
and  still  live,  was  his  somber  reflection  as  he 
stole  along,  six  paces  behind  the  man  in  front 
of  him.  He  had  been  under  heavy  fire  twice. 
He  had  looked  upon  death  in  its  bloodiest  form. 
He  had  slept  and  eaten  with  the  shattered,  life- 
less bodies  of  his  comrades  lying  about  him. 
He  had  waded  through  blood,  so  to  speak.  He 
had  been  across  No  Man's  Land  and  back. 
Men  had  died  in  his  arms.  He  had  endured 
agonies  of  suspense  as  he  searched  among  the 


"IT'S  A  GREAT  LIFE" 143 

slain  for  his  bunkies.  Worst  of  all,  he  had  lost 
a  devoted  friend  and  Brother. 

"It's  a  great  life  if  you  don't  weaken." 
Jimmy  smiled  grimly  to  himself  as  this  expres- 
sion, so  prevalent  among  the  Sammies,  popped 
into  his  mind.  Back  in  Camp  Sterling  he,  too, 
had  been  very  prone  to  use  it.  He  was  still  of 
the  opinion  that,  in  spite  of  blood,  mud,  death, 
wounds,  noise,  cooties  and  the  hundred  and  one 
other  vicissitudes  of  war,  it  was  "a  great  life." 

He  hoped  that  he  would  be  spared  to  do 
trench  duty  over  and  over  again.  That  was 
the  only  way  a  fellow  could  feel  about  it,  he 
thought.  He  was  glad  that  he  hated  the  Boches 
so  hard.  Back  in  Camp  Sterling  he  had  often 
wondered  how  it  would  feel  to  be  actually  en- 
gaged in  killing  men.  Now  he  hoped  that,  for 
the  sake  of  Franz  Schnitzel,  every  bullet  he  had 
sent  speeding  across  No  Man's  Land  had  put 
a  Hun  out  of  business  for  good  and  all. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


OUT  OF  THE  AIR 


CLEAR  of  the  trenches  at  last,  it  proved  a 
long,  tiresome  march  to  billets.  The 
roads  over  which  the  Khaki  Boys 
marched  were  rough  and  fnll  of  shell  holes. 
Long  before  they  reached  their  destination  a 
tine  rain  began  to  fall,  which  soaked  them  to  the 
skin.  With  it,  however,  came  a  dense  fog,  which 
was  a  great  help  in  concealing  them  from  enemy 
eyes. 

An  hour  before  dawn,  when  almost  to  billets, 
they  heard  a  reverberating  roar,  which  they 
guessed  to  be  that  of  the  German  guns.  It  an- 
nounced to  them  that  Fritz  had  again  begun 
his  "  straf  eing. ' '  Every  Sammie's  heart  beat 
faster,  as  the  welcome  voices  of  their  own  big 
guns  boomed  forth  in  answer. 

To  the  thunderous  tune  played  by  these  noisy 
orchestras  of  war,  the  rain-drenched  Khaki 
Boys  at  last  reached  billets.  These  consisted 
of  several  stables,  a  deserted  schoolhouse,  and 

144 


OUT  OF  THE  AIR 145 

a  long,  barn-like  structure,  which  had  been  used 
by  the  Allies  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  as  a 
supply  depot. 

To  his  great  satisfaction,  Jimmy  drew  the 
supply  depot  as  a  billet.  It  was  large  enough 
to  accommodate  two  hundred  men,  and  when 
dawn  came  he  was  overjoyed  to  find  all  three 
of  his  bunkies  had  been  quartered  there,  too. 

"Talk  about  style,"  exulted  Bob,  when  a  little 
later  the  quartette  sat  cross-legged  in  a  row, 
devouring  a  breakfast  of  bacon,  bread  and  cof- 
fee. "This  is  almost  as  good  as  a  real  barracks. 
It's  about  the  cleanest  billet  we've  struck  since 
we  started  out  in  dear  old  Eight  Horses.' ' 

"It's  pure  luck,  our  getting  together." 
Roger  sighed  his  satisfaction.  "I'll  bet  we'll 
have  a  real  cushy  time  while  it  lasts.  I  hope 
we  don't  get  shelled.  Listen  to  the  guns.  It 
must  be  hail  Columbia  now  in  the  front-line 
trench  on  both  sides.  Seems  funny  to  be  away 
from  it,  doesn't  it?" 

"I  guess  we've  earned  a  rest,"  yawned 
Jimmy,  "and  a  bath  along  with  it,  about  four 
times  a  day.  It'll  take  me  three  weeks  to  get 
clear  of  mud  and  these  blamed  cooties.  First 
chance  I  get  I'm  going  to  hunt  for  a  creek  and 
live  in  it." 

"So  will  I,"  vowed  Ignace.  "I  am  the  mud 
all  over.  My  mothar  now  see,  no  believe  I  am 
the  son  to  she." 

"I'd  hate  to  have  my  mother  see  me  now," 


146    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

smiled  Jimmy.  "She  wouldn't  sleep  nights  for 
che  next  year.  Just  as  soon  as  we  get  settled 
I'm  going  to  write  to  her.  I  wrote  every  day 
to  the  folks  while  I  was  in  the  trenches.  I  hope 
some  of  those  letters  get  across." 

"I  guess  they  will,  that  is,  if  you  didn't  put 
anything  in  'em  that  the  censors  got  peeved  at," 
rejoined  Bob.  "About  all  a  fellow  is  allowed  to 
write  is  'I  am  well,'  and  'good-lbye.'  " 

"Some  of  us  ought  to  write  to  Schnitz 'b 
folks,"  said  Roger  soberly. 

"Not  yet."  Jimmy  shook  his  head.  "Wait 
awhile.    Maybe  Schnitz  '11  come  back  to  us. ' ' 

"I  don't  believe  it,  Blazes,"  disagreed  Bob 
sadly.  "He  got  his  out  there  in  the  dark,  I'm 
afraid.  Schnitz  was  the  kind  to  fight  till  he 
dropped,  rather  than  be  taken  prisoner." 

"I  tell  you  I  had  a  hunch  out  there  in  the 
trench  that  I'd  see  him  again,"  Jimmy  stub- 
bornly asserted.  "It  came  to  me  just  as  plain 
as  anything,  'Schnitz  isn't  croaked.  He'll  come 
back.'  " 

"You  think  Schnitz  he  come  back,  so  think  I," 
nodded  Ignace,  who  was  always  fond  of  back- 
ing up  his  best  Brother's  statements. 

"Well,  I  hope  it  works  out  that  way,"  de- 
clared Roger  kindly. 

Privately,  his  belief  in  hunches  was  not 
strong. 

"I  wish  I'd  never  let  him  go  that  night," 
Jimmy  continued  moodily.    "  If  he  'd  waited  ten 


OUT  OF  THE  AIR  147 

minutes  longer,  as  I  did,  the  two  of  us  would 
have  got  back  to  the  lines  together." 

"You  might  not  have,  at  that,"  was  Bob's 
opinion.  "You  can't  tell  how  it  would  have 
come  out.    His  way  was  the  wisest. " 

Continuing  to  talk  of  Schnitzel,  the  memory 
of  whom  was  constantly  before  them,  the  four 
Brothers  finished  breakfast  and  went  outside 
their  quarters  to  look  around  them.  As  they 
had  been  on  the  march  nearly  all  night,  they 
expected  to  sleep  part  of  the  day.  So  far  as 
military  routine  was  concerned,  they  were  "on 
their  own"  until  Taps  that  night.  Next  morn- 
ing, however,  they  would  be  subject  to  the  usual 
military  routine  they  had  observed  when  in  the 
training  camps. 

Wandering  about  in  the  vicinity  of  their  bil- 
let, the  four  Brothers  whooped  with  joy  at  sight 
of  a  good-sized  creek,  which  looked  to  be  not 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  back  of  the  depot. 
Hastily  repairing  to  their  quarters,  they  got  out 
soap,  towels,  and  clean  underwear.  Laden  with 
these,  an  extra  uniform  blouse,  and  a  pair  of 
clean  leggins  apiece,  they  raced  across  the  fields 
to  the  creek,  and  were  soon  jubilantly  swimming 
about  in  its  clear,  but  very  cold  water. 

It  was  the  first  real  bath  that  any  of  them  had 
enjoyed  since  leaving  the  village  where  they 
had  been  briefly  quartered  before  going  on  their 
long  march  to  the  trenches.  Cold  as  the  water 
was,  they  soon  grew  used  to  it,  and  had  a  glor- 


148    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

ions  time  splashing  about  in  its  clear  depths. 

After  their  bath,  they  donned  clean  clothing, 
washed  out  their  discarded  underwear,  hang- 
ing it  to  dry  in  the  sun  on  some  low  bushes 
nearby.  They  also  gave  their  soiled  leggins  a 
much-needed  scrubbing. 

By  the  time  the  leggins  had  become  present- 
able again,  their  wash  was  partially  dry. 

"We  can't  wait  all  day  for  these  duds  to  get 
dry."  Bob  passed  a  critical  hand  over  his 
damp  wash.  "Let's  take  'em  back  to  billet  and 
hang  'em  up  there.  Now  I've  had  a  bath,  I 
want  to  go  bye-bye.  Besides,  we  ought  to  tell 
the  other  guys  about  this  French  swimming 
pool.    They  need  a  bath,  too." 

"Tell  'em  nothing.  Listen  to  that!  Look 
over  there ! ' ' 

Jimmy  pointed  across  the  field.  A  dozen  men 
were  charging  toward  them,  yelling  and  wildly 
waving  clean  clothing,  towels  or  whatever  they 
chanced  to  have  in  their  hands. 

"Discovered,"  grinned  Bob.  "Welcome  to 
our  bath  tub ! "  he  shouted,  as  the  running  group 
drew  near.  "Jump  in,  the  water's  fine.  It's  a 
sure  cure  for  trench  mud  and  live  stock." 

After  exchanging  a  few  good-natured  sallies 
with  the  gleeful  Sammies,  who  were  discarding 
their  clothing  as  fast  as  their  hands  would  let 
them,  the  four  Khaki  Boys  left  the  creek  and 
started  back  to  quarters. 

"Pipe  the  plane!"  yelled  Jimmy  suddenly, 


OUT  OF  THE  AIR 149 

pointing  upward.  "Ill  bet  it's  just  come  from 
over  the  German  lines.  She's  a  Frenchie,  too. 
You  can  see  her  colors.  She's  flying  pretty 
low." 

"She's  coming  down  fast!"  shouted  Bob. 
"Looks  as  though  she'd  been  nipped." 

Pausing  to  watch  the  plane,  it  seemed  to  the 
Khaki  Boys  that  it  was,  indeed,  coming  down 
altogether  too  fast  for  safety  to  its  pilot. 

"He's  lost  control  of  it!  No,  he  hasn't, 
either!  He's  sure  some  birdman.  Oh,  jov! 
Watch  him!" 

Jimmy  was  prancing  about,  flourishing  his 
wash,  as  he  poured  forth  this  volley  of  excited 
exclamation. 

"He's  going  to  land  right  the  other  side  of 
the  depot !  Come  on !  I  want  to  get  a  look  at 
him!" 

Bob  had  now  taken  up  the  cry.  With  "Come 
on!"  he  was  off  across  the  field,  his  three  bunk- 
ies  keeping  up  with  his  mad  dash.  Already  a 
crowd  of  Sammies  had  come  out  of  the  depot, 
and  were  running  toward  the  aviator,  who  had 
now  made  a  skilful  and  easy  landing. 

"We  may  get  the  grand  snub,"  panted  Bob, 
as  they  neared  the  quiescent  plane. 

Its  pilot  was  just  stepping  out  of  the  seat. 
He  moved  very  stiffly,  and  staggered  a  little,  as 
his  feet  touched  the  ground.  His  face  partially 
toward  the  plane,  he  turned  smilingly  as  the 
noisy  delegation  of  Sammies  rushed  up  to  him, 


150    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"It's  Cousin  Emile!"  bawled  Jimmy  at  the 
top  of  his  lungs,  and  dashed  straight  toward 
the  smiling  man. 

' '  Blaise !  This  is,  indeed,  most  remarkable ! ' ' 
called  out  a  deep  voice. 

A  ready  hand  shot  forth  to  meet  Jimmy's, 
and  grasped  it  warmly. 

'  '  Gee  whiz,  but  I  'm  glad  to  see  you,  sir ! ' '  was 
Jimmy's  fervent  greeting.  ''You'll  have  to 
excuse  me  for  calling  you  'Cousin  Emile.'  I 
was  certainly  flabbergasted  for  a  minute. ' ' 

"No  apologies,"  laughed  Voissard,  showing 
his  white  teeth  in  amusement  at  Jimmy's  con- 
fusion. "It  is  the  very  pleasant  surprise  to 
meet  you  thus,  my  dear  young  comrade.  And 
your  friends,  too,"  he  added,  offering  his  hand 
in  turn  to  Ignace,  Bob  and  Koger,  who  now 
grouped  themselves  about  him  with  beaming 
faces.  "Now  of  a  truth  it  seems  you  must  have 
just  come  from  the  bath." 

His  quick  eyes  had  taken  in  the  newly 
cleansed  articles  of  clothing  in  the  boys'  hands. 

"We  certainly  have,"  affirmed  Bob.  "We 
landed  here  just  before  daylight  from  our  first 
front-line  trench  detail.  You  can  guess  how 
much  we  needed  a  big  clean-up. ' ' 

"Ah,  yes,  I  can  easily  understand."  Vois- 
sard 's  fine  face  grew  sympathetic.  "It  is  the 
hard  life  in  those  muddy  trenches.  I  marvel 
that  you  are  still  here  to  tell  of  it.  But  where 
is  your  comrade  of  the  dark  face  and  quiet,  sin- 


OUT  OF  THE  AIR 151 

cere  manner?    You  see  my  memory  is  good." 

"He's  gone,  sir,"  was  Jimmy's  sad  response. 

Inquiry  for  Schnitzel  caused  the  four  eager 
faces  to  cloud  over.  Briefly,  Jimmy  informed 
Voissard  of  all  he  knew  pertaining  to  Schnitz- 
el's disappearance. 

1  '  It  is  the  fortune  of  war, ' '  was  the  aviator 's 
grave  comment  when  Jimmy  had  finished. 
"We  learn  in  time  to  accept  all  in  that  spirit. 
I,  too,  have  lost  many  valued  and  loyal  friends 
at  the  front.  I  share  your  sorrow  for  this  brave 
comrade.  Yet  I  am  happy  that  none  other  of 
you  has  met  with  misfortune. 

"It  is  purely  by  chance  that  I  found  you,"  he 
continued.  "I  spent  the  night  over  the  Alle- 
mand  lines.  Naturally,  my  plane  has  received 
rough  treatment.  It  was  necessary  for  me  to 
come  down  and  make  the  repairs.  I  have  yet 
some  distance  to  go,  and  my  bird's  wings  need 
the  attention." 

"Can  we  do  anything  to  help  you,  sir?"  was 
Jimmy's  prompt  inquiry. 

"Merci,  but  no.  My  plane  needs  but  a  few 
touches  here  and  there,  which  only  myself  can 
give  and  hurriedly.  I  have  the  important  in- 
formation gleaned,  which  I  must  impart  quickly 
to  those  who  wait  for  it.  For  how  long  shall 
you  remain  in  billet  ? ' ' 

Voissard  cast  a  thoughtful  glance  at  Jimmy 
as  he  asked  the  question. 

"Three  weeks,  unless  we  get  other  orders." 


152    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"That  is  well.  Watch  for  me.  If  all  goes  as 
I  hope,  I  shall  return  here  to  see  you  within  the 
next  three  days.    I  have  much  to  say  to  you." 

During  this  conversation,  the  Sammies  who 
had  run  out  of  billets  and  up  to  the  aeroplane, 
had  drawn  back  a  little  distance  from  it,  and 
the  quartette  gathered  about  the  aviator.  The 
average  American  boy  hates  to  "butt  in.'* 
Nevertheless,  many  pairs  of  bright  eyes  were 
wistfully  watching  the  trim  Nieuport,  and  the 
favored  four  who  appeared  to  be  on  such  inti- 
mate terms  with  its  pilot. 

Noting  this,  Jimmy  was  seized  with  a  kindly 
inspiration. 

"Would  you  mind  speaking  a  word  to  the  fel- 
lows back  there,  sir  1 "  he  inquired  deferentially. 
"They'd  like  it  a  lot,  especially  if  they  knew 
who  you  really  were.  May  I  call  them  over  and 
tell  'em?  It  will  only  take  a  minute  and  they'll 
be  good.  It  will  be  a  regular  bang-up  treat  for 
them." 

A  half -frown  touched  Voissard's  dark  brows, 
then  his  boyish  smile  came  into  evidence. 

"Since  you  ask  it,"  he  consented,  "but  only 
for  a  moment. ' ' 

At  the  word  of  permission,  Jimmy  hurried 
back  to  where  his  comrades  stood. 

"Fellows,"  he  greeted.  "Come  up  and  meet 
the  Flying  Terror  of  France.  I'd  like  him  to 
see  what  a  rattling  fine  bunch  we've  got  in  the 
good  old  509th." 


OUT  OF  THE  AIR 153 

This  last  compliment  was  slyly  intended  to 
put  every  Sammy  on  his  best  behavior.  It  suc- 
ceeded signally.  An  awed  and  admiring  dele- 
gation, led  by  Jimmy,  filed  respectfully  up  to 
the  aviator.  Forming  a  little  line,  they  came 
smartly  to  Attention.  On  the  last  word  of  pres- 
entation spoken  by  Jimmy,  every  man  saluted. 

Gracefully  returning  the  salute,  Voissard 
made  an  earnest  little  speech  to  his  young  ad- 
mirers, expressing  his  pleasure  at  meeting 
them,  and  thanking  them  in  the  name  of  France 
for  their  loyal  response  and  allegiance  to  the 
Allied  cause. 

As  he  finished  speaking,  the  Sammies  again 
saluted.  "Wheeling,  they  were  about  to  march 
off  when  he  stopped  them,  expressing  a  wish  to 
shake  the  hand  of  each.  To  the  delighted  Khaki 
Boys  it  was  a  red-letter  occasion.  Boyish  ex- 
uberance getting  the  upper  hand,  they  could  not 
resist  giving  three  cheers  for  Voissard,  as  he 
took  the  hand  of  the  last  man  in  line.  Then  it 
seemed  necessary  to  give  three  more  for  France, 
and  another  three  for  the  United  States.  Fi- 
nally, they  trooped  happily  off,  full  of  gratitude 
to  Blaise,  a  "corking  Sarge,"  who  "hadn't  a 
stingy  bone  in  his  body." 

The  four  Brothers  remained  with  Cousin 
Emile  while  he  went  over  the  plane,  and  made 
the  minor  repairs  which  he  had  referred  to  as 
"touches."  It  took  the  better  part  of  an  hour 
to  make  them,  during  which  period  the  boys 


154    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

hovered  admiringly  about  the  clean-cut  little 
fighting  craft. 

"I'd  almost  give  my  eyes  to  take  a  trip  with 
you,  sir,"  was  Jimmy's  wistful  assertion,  as 
Voissard  was  about  to  say  good-bye. 

"Your  company  would  be  the  great  pleas- 
ure," the  aviator  courteously  replied.  "How- 
ever, we  shall  at  least  meet  again  soon,"  he 
added,  extending  his  hand  in  friendly  farewell. 

There  was  a  quizzical  twinkle  in  Cousin 
Emile's  dark  eyes.  Had  Jimmy  known  what 
was  going  on  behind  them  he  would  have  been 
raised  to  the  seventh  heaven  of  bliss.  He  could 
not  possibly  guess  that  his  ardent  desire  to  take 
a  trip  with  Voissard  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be 
presently  realized. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE   RETURN   OF   COUSIN"   EMILB 

ASSURED  by  Voissard  that  he  would  re- 
turn to  the  village,  the  four  Brothers 
kept  up  an  anxious  lookout  for  him. 
Five  days  went  by,  but  Cousin  Emile  did  not 
materialize.  During  this  time  new  platoons 
and  squads  were  formed  from  those  depleted 
by  trench  duty,  and  the  two  detachments, 
though  smaller,  were  soon  in  good  order  again. 

The  Khaki  Boys  were  required  to  be  on  hand 
for  roll  call  at  6 :30  every  morning.  Breakfast 
was  followed  by  daily  inspection  and  parade. 
After  that  they  drilled  until  noon.  The  rest  of 
the  day  and  evening  was  theirs,  unless  on  some 
special  detail,  Taps  sounding  at  the  usual  time. 

Though  the  resting  detachments  were  well 
behind  the  lines,  they  were  not  immune  from 
shrapnel  directed  against  passing  ammunition 
and  supply-trains,  and  even  against  ambu- 
lances, as  these  last  rushed  the  wounded  to  hos- 
pital.    Then  there  was  always  the  danger  of 

155 


156    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

being  bombed  by  enemy  aeroplanes.  Fre- 
quently, these  Boche  planes  would  appear  sail- 
ing high  overhead,  only  to  be  shelled  by  Archies, 
and  driven  back  by  Allied  aircraft.  It  was  not 
a  particularly  safe  district  in  which  to  rest,  but 
it  certainly  offered  plenty  of  excitement. 

For  two  days  after  their  arrival,  the  guns 
kept  up  a  furious  racket  night  and  day.  Now 
and  then  they  gleaned  some  word  of  the  conflict 
from  ambulance  drivers  or  men  who  had  come 
from  the  trenches  on  special  errands.  The 
Americans  were  grittily  holding  their  own,  it 
seemed.  They  had  gone  over  the  top  on  the 
very  morning  in  which  the  Khaki  Boys  had  ar- 
rived in  rest  billets.  There  had  been  a  whole- 
sale slaughter  of  Bodies.  Many  machine  guns 
and  prisoners  had  been  taken.  The  Hun's  first- 
line  trench  had  been  blown  up. 

The  Bodies  had  beaten  a  wild  retreat  to  their 
second  trench,  and  were  now  engaged  in  trying 
to  hold  it.  Many  Sammies  had  been  killed  or 
wounded,  but  the  Germans  had  suffered  more 
in  casualties.  All  this  and  other  news  pertain- 
ing to  the  fight  that  still  raged,  the  Khaki  Boys 
heard.  They  gloried  in  the  way  "our  fellows 
are  putting  it  all  over  Fritz. ' ' 

Bob's  first  move  after  settling  down  was  to 
get  a  pass  and  go  to  the  village  where  Gaston 
was  quartered  at  his  expense.  Finding  that  it 
was  not  more  than  twenty  miles  from  their  bil- 
let, and  that  he  could  reach  it  and  return  by 


THE  RETURN  OF  COUSIN  EMILE     157 

train,  he  cordially  invited  his  bunkies  to  ac- 
company him.  Jimmy  and  Ignace  declined  to 
go  on  the  expedition,  hut  Roger  good-naturedly 
consented.  ' '  You  need  a  friend  on  such  a  dan- 
gerous detail, ' '  he  slyly  remarked. 

It  took  the  two  a  whole  afternoon  and  even- 
ing to  make  the  trip.  Triumphantly  returning 
with  his  pet  just  before  Taps,  Bob  tied  Gaston 
up  outside  the  barrack,  trustingly  expecting 
him  there  in  the  morning.  In  the  night,  how- 
ever, Gaston  basely  chewed  his  rope  in  two  and 
deserted. 

Bob,  being  of  the  loyal  opinion  that  Gaston 
was  "no  yellow  deserter,"  but  had  been 
"pinched,"  he  spent  his  leisure  time  the  follow- 
ing day  going  from  pillar  to  post  savagely  ask- 
ing, "Who's  got  my  goat?" 

Toward  night  he  found  the  lost  one  in  the 
backyard  of  a  cottage,  calmly  feasting  upon  a 
linen  tablecloth,  which  had  appealed  to  his  pe- 
culiar appetite. 

Bob  and  the  owner  of  the  tablecloth  discov- 
ered Gaston  at  about  the  same  moment.  Gas- 
ton got  a  beating  and  Bob  a  wigging  in  French, 
both  delivered  by  an  irate  housewife.  It  ended 
by  Bob's  going  down  in  his  pocket  for  the  price 
of  one  linen  tablecloth.  Gaston,  nobly  resent- 
ing this  outrage,  charged  upon  the  scolding 
woman,  and  thereby  added  to  his  master's  dif- 
ficulties. Bob  finally  roped  him,  and  led  him 
back  to  billets,  sadly  pondering  as  he  went  on 


158    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

the  trials  of  being  ' '  foster-papa  to  a  blamed  old 
goat." 

In  the  morning  Gaston  had  again  taken 
French  leave.  This  time  he  wandered  gaily  np 
to  the  schoolhonse  where  a  platoon  of  509th  men 
were  billeted.  They  received  him  with  open 
arms,  and  promptly  adopted  him  as  a  mascot. 
In  due  season  Bob  appeared,  and  just  as 
promptly  parted  Gaston  from  his  new  friends. 
Next  day  they  stole  him  back  again. 

Bob's  first  four  days  in  billet  were  largely 
spent  in  getting  his  goat,  losing  it,  and  getting 
it  again. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  fifth  day  he  came  back 
to  billet  from  a  trip  to  the  schoolhouse  looking 
completely  disgusted. 

"Those  pesky  guys  have  got  Gaston  again," 
he  announced,  as  he  went  over  to  where  his 
three  bunkies  sat  on  the  floor,  backs  propped 
against  the  wall,  and  busily  engaged  in  writing 
letters.  ' ' They  can  keep  him,  too.  I'm  through 
being  a  father  to  an  ungrateful  brute  that  tries 
to  butt  his  foster-parent  over  on  sight." 

This  nettled  confession  was  received  with 
shouts  of  unsympathetic  laughter. 

"Oh,  laugh  now.  It's  very  funny,"  jeered 
Bob.  Nevertheless,  he  laughed,  too,  as  he 
dropped  down  beside  Jimmy. 

"Did  he  go  for  you?  I'm  surprised,"  teased 
Eoger.     "He's  such  a  gentle,  friendly  beast." 

"Did  he?"  Bob  snickered.     "Those  thieves 


THE  RETURN  OF  COUSIN  EMILE     159 

had  him  tied  to  a  post  out  in  the  school-yard. 
When  he  saw  his  papa,  he  lowered  his  head  and 
came  on  the  run.  Good  thing  he  was  roped. 
You  should  have  heard  those  ginks  yell.  They 
kidded  Bobby  to  a  finish.  Said  Gaston  must 
have  taken  me  for  a  Hun,  and  a  lot  of  stuff  like 
that. 

" They've  got  a  mangy  old  red  ribbon  tied 
around  his  neck  with  an  identification  tag  hung 
on  it,"  continued  Bob.  "It  was  a  blank  tag,  all 
right,  but  they've  cut  on  it  with  a  knife,  'Gas- 
ton, Platoon  4,  509th  Infantry.'  The  robbers! 
Can  you  beat  that  ?  I  certainly  was  good  to  that 
beast.  Treated  him  fine,  and  spent  a  lot  of  time 
and  money  on  him.  That's  the  way,  though. 
Be  kind  to  your  goat  and  somebody  else '11  get 
it.  Bobby's  all  through  being  a  foster-papa. 
He's  going  to  spend  his  golden  hours  and  cop- 
per coins  on  himself  hereafter.  I  was  bitterly 
deceived  in  Gaston." 

"Hope  it  won't  wreck  your  young  life," 
chuckled  Jimmy. 

"Never  I  like  him,  that  Gaston.  He  always 
the  too  fraish.  I  think  mebbe  him  Boche  goat 
an'  no  Franche.  So  is  it  he  is  the  no  good," 
giggled  Ignace. 

"Well,  I'm  all  done  with  him,"  declared  Bob. 
"Hope  he  bowls  over  a  few  of  those  smarties  in 
Platoon  4.  He  owes  it  to  me  to  do  it.  My,  what 
a  busy  little  bunch  you  are.  Guess  I'd  better 
write  a  few  letters  myself." 


160     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"Go  to  it,  then,  and  don't  bother  us,"  re- 
torted Roger.  "We  want  to  get  through  witli 
our  writing  before  mess.    To-night " 

Roger  was  interrupted  by  a  sudden  exclama- 
tion from  Jimmy.  The  latter 's  glance  happen- 
ing to  stray  to  an  open  door  at  the  far  end  of 
the  long,  barn-like  room,  he  leaped  to  his  feet 
and  hurried  to  it.  A  uniformed  man  stood  on 
its  threshold,  his  dark  eyes  roving  up  and  down 
the  place,  as  though  in  search  of  someone. 

"Mon  cher,  Blaise!"  he  exclaimed  with  out- 
stretched hand  as  Jimmy  neared  him.  "It  is 
for  you  I  have  been  searching." 

"We  had  given  you  up,  sir."  Jimmy  was 
radiant  with  delighted  surprise.  "We  thought 
you  had  been  detailed  to  some  special  move- 
ment against  the  Boches." 

' '  Not  as  yet. ' '  Voissard  smiled  mysteriously. 
"I  have  been  in  Paris  since  last  we  met.  But 
to-morrow  night  my  work  begins." 

Before  he  could  say  more,  Jimmy's  bunkies 
had  come  up,  and  were  respectfully  greeting  the 
Flying  Terror  of  France. 

"I  have  come  to  invite  you  to  the  petit  souper 
at  the  Inn,"  Voissard  presently  said.  "There 
we  shall  be  able  to  talk  for  a  little.  I  have 
some  things  to  relate  to  you  of  my  nephews 
whom  I  saw  while  away.  There  is  also  the 
old  matter  of  the  man  whom  you  described  to 
me.  Also  there  is  another  matter  to  be  dis- 
cussed. ' ' 


THE  RETURN  OF  COUSIN  EMILE     161 

Cousin  Emile's  invitation  was  gladly  ac- 
cepted, and  a  few  minutes  later  the  five  men  left 
the  barrack  for  a  quaint  little  inn,  to  which  the 
aviator  conducted  them. 

Seated  together  at  a  rear  table,  the  four 
Brothers  were  not  concerned  as  to  what  they 
ate.  They  had  found  one  inn  to  be  about  the 
same  as  another  in  regard  to  "eats."  All  of- 
fered eggs,  cheese,  brown  bread,  red  wine,  and 
not  much  else. 

In  this  instance,  however,  Voissard  held 
a  lengthy  consultation  with  the  innkeeper 
himself,  which  sent  him  hustling  for  the 
kitchen. 

"Now  while  thus  we  wait  I  will  speak  of  my 
nephews  first,"  began  the  aviator.  "Both  are 
now  in  the  Nieuport  squad.  Each  has  been  out 
twice,  and  has  a  Boche  plane  to  his  credit.  They 
send  you  many  good  wishes,  and  are  in 
hopes  to  see  you  before  long  somewhere  out 
here." 

He  went  on  to  tell  them  further  of  the  doings 
of  the  Twinkle  Twins,  smilingly  answering  the 
countless  eager  queries  put  to  him  by  the  Khaki 
Boys. 

"While  they  were  still  discussing  the  famous 
Twinkle  Twins,  their  dinner  appeared  in  the 
shape  of  two  immense,  beautifully  browned 
omelets,  with  other  accompanying  delicacies, 
which  made  them  open  their  eyes.  Cousin 
Emile,    it    seemed,    knew    a    thing    a    two 


162    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


about     French     inns,     which     they     did    not. 

Directly  the  meal  had  been  served  and  the 
waiter  had  withdrawn,  Voissard  reached  into 
a  pocket  of  his  sky-bine  uniform  blouse,  and 
drew  from  it  a  small  photograph.  Handing  it 
across  the  table  to  Jimmy,  he  said  simply: 

"Look  weU  at  this." 

Jimmy  looked.  His  gray  eyes  flashed  as  he 
exclaimed:  "It's  the  same  old  smile!  I  mean, 
it 's  my  tiger  man !  Then  your  friend,  the  Pre- 
fect of  Police,  knew  him " 

"Very  well,"  finished  Voissard.  "But  not 
as  Charles  Black.  This  man's  real  name  is 
Adolph  von  Kreitzen.  He  is  an  Austrian,  and 
one  of  the  most  villainous  creatures  of  the  Cen- 
tral Powers  that  ever  drew  breath.  Before  the 
war  his  crimes  were  many,  yet  he  always  eluded 
capture.  During  the  first  two  years  of  the 
war  he  did  much  damage  to  our  cause  as  a 
spy. 

"Suddenly  no  more  was  heard  of  him.  It 
was  thought  by  my  friend  the  Prefect  that  he 
had  either  entered  the  German  army  or  been 
ordered  to  commit  suicide  by  his  master,  on  ac- 
count of  some  failure  on  his  part  to  carry  out 
a  mission  intrusted  to  him.  This  is  often  the 
fate  of  those  whose  work  as  spies  displeases 
their  finicky  war-lord.  He  graciously  rewards 
their  efforts  for  the  Fatherland  with  disgrace 
or  death. 

"Later,  however,  it  was  learned  that  von 


THE  RETURN  OF  COUSIN  EMILE     163 

Kreitzen  had  been  seen  in  Belgium.  A  soldier 
who  had  formerly  been  connected  with  the  Paris 
Police  Bureau  saw  and  recognized  him.  He 
immediately  sent  word  to  the  Prefect.  Men 
were  sent  to  Belgium  to  trail  him,  but  again 
he  escaped  them. 

* '  That  was  the  last  report  of  him  until  I  went 
to  the  Prefect  with  what  you  related  to  me  in 
Paris.  My  friend  immediately  recognized 
von  Kreitzen  from  the  description  you  gave  me. 
I  would  have  gone  to  your  training  camp  with 
this  photograph  had  I  not  received  your  com- 
mander's kind  telegram. 

'  '  Strange  to  say,  the  next  day  after  our  meet- 
ing in  the  cafe,  a  report  came  to  the  Prefect 
that  a  man  resembling  von  Kreitzen  had  been 
recently  seen  in  Paris.  Thus  it  may  well  be 
true  that  after  you  saw  him  in  Belfast,  he  went 
from  there  to  England,  and  thence  to  Paris. 
Where  he  is  now,  who  knows V9  Voissard 
shrugged  his  shoulders.  ' '  Perhaps  back  in  Ger- 
many; perhaps  with  his  kind  on  the  Western 
front;  perhaps  dead.  Again  he  has  disap- 
peared." 

'  'I'll  tell  you  a  queer  thing,  sir.  I  never  men- 
tioned it  before,  even  to  my  bunkies  here." 

Jimmy  recounted  to  Voissard  the  attack  made 
on  them  by  the  hidden  gunman  on  the  evening 
of  their  return  from  Paris  to  the  training  camp. 

"Somehow  I  always  had  an  idea  that  this 
tiger  fellow,  von  Kreitzen,  spotted  us  in  Paris, 


164     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

and  trailed  us  to  the  village.  He  saw  me  and 
wanted  to  get  me.  It  rather  tallies  with  what 
you  say  about  his  having  been  seen  in  Paris." 

"When  is  a  clam  not  a  clam?  When  it's  a 
blazing  old  tight-mouth  Blazes,"  was  Bob's 
caustic  conundrum,  self-answered. 

"Well,  I  had  a  right  to  be  a  tight-mouth  if  I 
felt  like  it,"  defended  Jimmy.  "If  I'd  said  a 
word  about  it,  then  you  fellows  would  have 
either  told  me  I  was  crazy  or  else  you'd  have 
worried  about  little  Jimmy's  health.  So  I  just 
canned  it. ' ' 

"I  wouldn't  be  surprised  if  it  ivas  that  von 
Kreitzen  who  went  sniping  at  us  that  night," 
said  Roger  reflectively.  "It's  not  such  a  wild 
idea.  He  might  have  caught  sight  of  you  in 
Paris,  Blazes,  and  followed  you  down  on  the 
same  train.  He  might  have  been  in  another 
compartment  disguised.  I  don't  remember  see- 
ing anyone  who  got  off  the  train  that  night  ex- 
cept four  or  five  Sammies.  They  went  into  an 
estaminet  across  from  the  station." 

"I  saw  an  old  man  and  a  little  girl.  I  re- 
member seeing  those  doughboys,  too,"  put  in 
Bob. 

"So  see  I  him,  the  solder  and  'nother  man. 
He  have  the  much  black  wheeskar  an'  the  hat 
over  the  face.  He  walk  ver'  quick  no  look  at 
nothin',"  was  Ignace's  placid  contribution. 

"I  don't  remember  noticing  anyone  in  par- 
ticular, ' '  mused  Jimmy.    ' '  I  guess ' ' 


THE  RETURN  OF  COUSIN  EMILE     165 

"I  guess  Iggy  saw  the  most!"  interrupted 
Bob  excitedly.  "Iggy  saw  him,  this  von 
Sweitzer,  or  whatever  his  name  is.  That's 
about  the  way  he'd  fix  up  to  keep  shady — false 
whiskers  and  his  hat  over  his  nose.  If  you  had 
not  been  so  keen  on  keeping  still,  Blazes,  we 
might  have  figured  this  thing  out  long  ago." 

"It  wouldn't  have  done  us  any  good,"  de- 
murred Jimmy. 

"It  would  have  been  some  satisfaction,  any- 
how, to  have  somebody  to  lay  it  to,"  grumbled 
Bob. 

Thus  during  the  meal  the  talk  continued  to 
center  on  Jimmy's  "tiger  man."  It  was  the 
element  of  mystery  that  appealed  so  strongly 
to  the  Khaki  Boys.  It  made  them  forget  for 
the  time  the  grim  reality  of  war.  Long  after 
the  meal  was  finished,  they  still  sat  at  the  table 
listening  to  interesting  information  which 
Voissard  had  gathered  concerning  the  intricate 
spy-system  which  the  Central  Powers  have 
established  throughout  the  civilized  world. 

"I  have  still  the  news  for  you  which  must 
interest  Blaise  most  of  all,"  declared  Cousin 
Emile  at  last,  smiling  at  Jimmy.  "Because  of 
his  pleasure,  I  am  sure  all  will  be  pleased. 
You  said  to  me,  mon  cher  Blaise,  that  you  would 
give  much  to  go  with  me  over  the  lines.  Voila! 
Your  wish  has  been  granted.  It  has  not  been 
easy  to  gain  the  permission.  It  has  been  done, 
however.    To-morrow  morning  your  command- 


166    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

big  officer  will  send  for  you.  I  have  already 
talked  with  him.  To-morrow  afternoon  yon 
and  I  will  be  leaving  here  on  a  little  journey 
of  our  own  for  the  glory  of  France  and  her 
Allies." 


- 


CHAPTER  XXI 

UP   ABOVE   THE   CLOUDS 

44^-^OOD-BYE,   fellows.     If  I   shouldn't 

I    -y  come  back — well,  you  know  what  to  do 

^-^    about  writing  the  folks.    I'll  be  back 

all  right  enough,  though.    I'm  just  as  sure  as 

anything  of  that." 

Seated  beside  Voissard  in  a  gray  French 
racer,  Jimmy  Blaise  leaned  out  for  a  last  word 
and  handclasp  wtih  his  three  bunkies.  It  was  a 
solemn-faced  trio  who  stood  beside  the  long, 
low  car.  Jimmy's  Brothers  were  trying  to  be 
glad  because  Jimmy  himself  was  so  excitedly 
happy.  It  was  hard  work.  They  felt  as 
though  they  were  looking  their  last  at  good  old 
Blazes. 

The  final  good-byes  said,  the  racer,  driven 
by  Voissard,  shot  down  the  road,  started  on 
what  was  to  prove  a  most  amazing  trip  for 
Jimmy  Blaise.  It  was  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  and  the  two  men  were  bound  for  a 
French  escadrille,  not  far  behind  the  American 

167 


168     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

sector  of  the  firing  lines.  Jimmy  Blaise  was 
presently  to  go  out  with  Voissard  over  the  Ger- 
man lines.  This  was  the  extent  of  his  knowl- 
edge regarding  the  expedition.  Cousin  Emile 
had  offered  not  a  word  more  than  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  breaking  the  news  to  Jimmy 
and  his  bunkies. 

As  the  racer  left  the  village  behind  and  struck 
a  country  road,  Voissard  broke  the  silence 
which  had  fallen  between  them  since  the  start. 

''Thus  far  I  have  imparted  to  you  nothing 
of  to-night's  detail.  You  must  understand  that 
I  have  been  granted  a  great  privilege  in  being 
allowed  your  company  to-night,  mon  cher  ami. 
It  is  the  first  favor  I  have  ever  asked  of  France. 
Voila!  You  are  here.  Some  distance  behind 
the  Boche  lines  a  long  ammunition  and  supply 
train  is  making  its  way  to  the  German  front. 
I  am  to  lead  an  air  squadron  against  it.  It 
will  be  a  bombing  raid  and  very  dangerous. 
We  shall  start  at  three  o  'clock  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. The  supply  train,  according  to  our  cal- 
culations, will  be  at  a  certain  point  to-morrow 
morning  at  four  o'clock.  It  is  then  that  we 
shall  attack.  The  craft  that  I  shall  use  will  be 
a  Voisin.  In  it  will  be  only  you,  my  bom- 
bardier and  myself.  Unless  an  unexpected 
emergency  should  arise  you  will  have  little  to 
do  save  be  my  honored  guest.  It  will  be  for  you 
the  interesting  experience,  n'est  ce  pas?" 

"I  should  rather  say  so!"     Jimmy  drew  a 


UP  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  169 

sharp  breath.  "It's  the  bulliest  thing  that  ever 
happened  to  me.  I  can't  begin  to  find  words  to 
thank  yon,  sir." 

"Yon  need  not  try.  I  understand;  tres 
bien,"  Voissard  assured,  a  smile  touching  his 
firm  mouth. 

"With  this  he  dropped  the  subject  of  the 
night's  work  and  directed  the  conversation 
toward  more  impersonal  topics. 

Outside  the  village,  Jimmy  was  amazed  at 
the  activities  of  the  Allied  war  machine.  All 
along  the  way  they  encountered  numbers  of 
motor-lorries,  trucks  and  ambulances  traveling 
over  the  roads  in  steady  streams.  Huge  trac- 
tors puffed  and  snorted  along  in  advance  of 
strings  of  farm  wagons.  Occasionally  a  racer, 
carrying  staff  officers,  shot  by  them.  Once  they 
passed  a  company  of  French  soldiers  on  the 
march  from  one  battle  section  to  another. 
Frequently  motorcycles  ridden  by  despatch 
men  chugged  by  them.  In  the  fields  peasant 
women  and  children  could  be  seen  preparing 
the  ground  for  spring  planting.  It  was  a  varied 
and  interesting  panorama  that  Jimmy  gazed 
upon,  wide-eyed  and  curious. 

Arrived  at  the  escadrille,  a  new  world  of  won- 
der was  opened  to  him.  He  saw  rows  and  rows 
of  hangars,  housing  countless  Allied  fighting 
birds. 

Though  Voissard  did  not  belong  to  this  par- 
ticular escadrille,  he  was  very  much  at  home 


170    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


there.  On  the  way  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
escadrille  commander,  the  Flying  Terror  was 
greeted,  with  admiring  respect  by  all  whom 
they  chanced  to  encounter.  Everyone  appeared 
to  know  him,  though  he  ruefully  confessed  to 
Jimmy  that  he  could  not  recall  the  faces  of 
many  of  the  aviators  who  claimed  his  acquaint- 
ance. 

As  the  guest  of  Cousin  Emile,  Jimmy  became 
also  the  guest  of  the  escadrille  commander.  It 
was  almost  unbelievable,  he  thought,  that  an 
ordinary  Sammy  like  himself  should  be  eating 
luncheon  with  two  such  great  men.  Luncheon 
over,  he  was  taken  on  a  tour  about  the  aviation 
field  and  saw  new  sights  to  marvel  at.  Stand- 
ing somewhat  in  awe  of  the  commander,  a  very 
tall  Frenchman  with  a  somewhat  austere  face, 
he  soon  became  quite  at  his  ease.  Despite  his 
severe  expression,  "Mon  Captaine,"  as  Vois- 
sard  affectionately  addressed  the  commander, 
was  a  very  human  sort  of  person  and  treated 
him  with  the  benevolent  friendliness  which  an 
older  man  often  displays  toward  a  youngster. 

Enjoying  himself  hugely,  Jimmy  longed,  nev- 
ertheless, for  the  great  moment  to  arrive  when 
be  should  take  his  first  trip  through  the  clouds. 
At  eight  o  'clock  Voissard  and  himself  both  lay 
down  for  a  few  hours'  rest  before  the  start. 
Jimmy  was  too  thoroughly  wide  awake  even  to 
doze  off  briefly.  Now  and  then,  by  the  faint 
rays  of  the  night  light  burning  in  the  room, 


UP  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  171 

he  consulted  his  wrist  watch.  Would  two 
o'clock  never  come? 

Two  o'clock,  though  slow  in  coming,  finally 
came.  Provided  by  Voissard  with  the  close- 
fitting  head-gear  and  heavy  fur-lined  coat  of 
the  aviator,  the  two  made  their  way  across  the 
aviation  field  to  the  hangar  in  which  the  Voisin 
reposed  that  Voissard  was  to  fly  that  night. 
They  found  there  the  bombardier,  a  slim,  alert 
Frenchman  with  piercing  black  eyes.  Jimmy 
grinned  in  the  dark  to  hear  Cousin  Emile  ad- 
dress the  man  as  Gaston.  The  name  Brought 
humorous  recollection  of  Bob's  goat. 

Watching  Voissard  by  the  flaring  light  in 
the  hangar,  Jimmy  observed  the  workmanlike 
manner  in  which  the  aviator  examined  his  air- 
plane. He  tested  every  point  of  it,  giving  the 
engine  a  most  minute  going  over. 

Meanwhile  Gaston  was  equally  busy  attend- 
ing to  his  own  part  of  the  work.  He  tested  the 
bomb  carrier  and  counted  his  stock  of  percus- 
sion caps  for  the  bombs.  He  went  over  the 
machine  gun,  set  the  clock  in  the  front  of  the 
machine  to  the  exact  second,  tested  the  alti- 
meter and  saw  that  the  compass  was  correctly 
hung. 

Eleven  other  bombing  planes  besides  Vois- 
sard's  were  to  take  part  in  the  expedition.  His 
was  the  only  plane  to  carry  an  extra  man.  The 
others  each  had  only  a  pilot  and  bombardier. 
Besides  the  twelve,  five  lighter,  swifter  planes, 


172    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

Nieuports  all,  were  to  go  along  as  a  guard  to 
warn  the  bombers  of  the  approach  of  hostile 
aircraft  and  to  give  battle  should  the  heavier 
planes  be  obliged  to  retreat. 

To  Jimmy  it  was  indeed  thrilling  to  watch 
plane  after  plane  line  np  at  the  end  of  the  field 
for  the  start.  In  the  flaring  glow  cast  by  pow- 
erful lights  set  at  each  corner  of  the  field,  he 
could  plainly  see  the  faces  of  the  pilots  and 
the  bombardiers.  They  were  laughing  and 
talking  among  themselves,  unconcerned  by  the 
danger  of  the  detail  ahead  of  them. 

Soon  pilots  and  bombardiers  were  seated  in 
their  planes,  awaiting  the  word  from  the  squad- 
ron commander  who  had  come  down  to  see 
them  off. 

Voissard's  plane  was  to  make  the  first  ascent. 
Seated  behind,  in  the  place  usually  occupied 
by  the  observer,  Jimmy  held  his  breath  as  the 
commander  sang  out,  "All  ready  I" 

"Turn!"  shouted  Voissard  to  the  mechan- 
ician standing  beside  the  plane. 

The  man  spun  the  propeller  and  jumped 
back  out  of  the  way.  The  engine  tuned  up  and 
then — Jimmy  felt  the  movement  of  the  plane 
as  it  began  rolling  along  the  field.  It  gathered 
speed,  then  began  to  rise.  At  last  he  knew 
what  it  meant  to  fly. 

Higher  and  higher  the  plane  rose.  Far  be- 
low Jimmy  could  see  the  lights  of  the  aviation 
field  as  mere  pin  points.     Soon  these  became 


UP  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  173 

completely  obliterated.  Looking  back,  Jimmy 
could  make  out  the  other  planes  stringing  in  a 
long  succession  behind  them.  Headed  straight 
for  the  German  lines,  the  Voisin  suddenly 
plunged  into  a  cloud  bank  and  the  flying  squad- 
ron vanished  from  Jimmy's  view. 

At  length,  emerging  from  the  clouds,  he 
could  see  none  of  the  squadron.  He  guessed 
that  they  were  now  going  through  the  same 
bank  that  had  lately  engulfed  Voissard's 
plane.  His  first  sensation  of  dizziness  now 
past,  he  began  to  realize  that  it  was  very  cold 
up  there  in  the  clouds.  He  was  grateful  for 
the  warmth  of  his  fur-lined  coat.  He  calculated 
that  they  must  be  sweeping  the  skies  at  the 
rate  of  at  least  eighty  miles  an  hour.  He 
wished  he  might  speak  to  Voissard  or  Gaston, 
but  the  roar  of  the  engine  was  too  great  for 
that.  Shouting  his  loudest  he  would  not  be 
able  to  make  himself  heard.  He  wondered  what 
had  become  of  the  squadron.  Had  they  lost 
their  companions  so  soon? 

Keeping  up  an  anxious  watch,  he  saw  at  last 
plane  after  plane  reappear.  They  had  won 
free  of  the  cloud  bank.  Presently  he  saw  some- 
thing else.  Fifteen  hundred  feet  below  him, 
he  could  make  out  red,  twisting  lines  of  fire, 
accompanied  by  glaring,  crimson  flashes.  He 
was  over  his  own  lines.  Those  flaming  lines 
and  vivid  flashes  proceeded  from  the  American 
guns. 


174    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


Now  the  plane  was  beginning  to  soar  higher. 
Voissard  was  getting  safely  above  the  up- 
climbing  curve  of  the  American  shells.  On  they 
went.  They  Avere  now  crossing  what  looked 
like  a  dense  black  patch.  Jimmy  knew  it  to  be 
No  Man's  Land.  He  could  see  it  plainly,  as, 
ever  and  again,  a  star  shell  rose  and  bathed 
it  in  a  radiant,  bluish- white  light.  It  was  the 
deadly,  cruel  land  that  had  claimed  poor 
Schnitz. 

Soon  the  writhing  lines  of  fire  were  again  vis- 
ible. They  had  crossed  No  Man's  Land  and 
were  over  the  German  lines.  Both  sides  were 
furiously  at  it.  It  was  evident  to  him,  even 
at  that  height,  that  Fritz  was  getting  heavier 
punishment  than  he  was  inflicting.  The  air 
shock  of  the  explosion  of  American  shells  made 
the  plane  rock  like  a  ship  at  sea. 

With  the  German  lines  safely  passed,  the 
plane  flew  steadily  onward  toward  its  objective 
point.  Engaged  in  keeping  track  of  the  squad- 
ron, Jimmy  felt  relieved  when,  one  by  one,  they 
began  to  draw  closer.  They  were  gathering  for 
the  attack.  He  decided  that  it  must  be  near- 
ing  four  o'clock.  From  then  on  he  kept  his 
eyes  trained  downward  in  an  effort  to  pick 
up  a  long,  dark  outline,  which  would  be  the 
supply  train.  Though  it  was  still  dark  it  was 
the  gloom  that  precedes  dawn's  first  faint  light. 
A  few  minutes  and  he  should  be  able  to  see  the 
earth  below  quite  plainly. 


UP  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  175 


Presently  Voissard  began  to  spiral  down. 
His  example  was  followed  by  the  pilots  of  the 
other  planes.  With  motors  shut  off  the  squad- 
ron volplaned.  Jimmy  could  now  distinguish 
the  thin  black  line.  It  appeared  to  be  creeping 
very  slowly.  In  the  bomber 's  seat,  Gaston  was 
making  ready  to  drop  his  bombs.  As  flight- 
captain,  Voissard  would  give  the  signal.  In 
turn  each  machine  would  come  to  an  even  keel 
at  a  point  set,  drop  its  bombs  and  dart  away. 
Voissard 's  machine  would  be  the  last  to  go. 
The  whole  performance  would  last  hardly  more 
than  a  minute. 

As  each  plane  did  its  work  and  scudded  off, 
another  took  its  place.  Each  bomber  strove  to 
land  his  bombs  where  they  would  do  the  most 
good.  Peering  downward  with  strained  eyes, 
Jimmy  saw  and  heard  that  which  filled  him  with 
delirious  joy.  Amid  continuous  explosions  and 
angry  tongues  of  fire,  the  long  black  line  ap- 
peared suddenly  to  completely  dissolve,  and 
disappear.  Few  of  the  bombs  had  missed  their 
mark.  Jimmy  could  well  imagine  the  devasta- 
tion attending  that  raid. 

It  was  over  now.  Gaston  had  done  his  bit 
and  Voissard  was  flying  for  home.  Directly  be- 
hind him  came  the  fighting  Nieuports,  ready  to 
cover  the  retreat  of  the  bombing  planes.  They 
would  be  needed.  Across  the  rapidly  coming 
dawn  half  a  dozen  German  Aviatiks  were 
hastening  to  the  fray.    From  below  Boche  anti- 


176    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

aircraft  guns  were  now  pegging  at  the  return- 
ing bombing  party. 

The  speed  of  the  Aviatik  being  very  great, 
five  of  them  soon  drew  upon  the  Nieuports  and 
attacked  them  viciously.  The  first  Aviatik  to 
the  scene  swept  straight  over  in  pursuit  of 
Voissard,  opening  fire  upon  the  plane.  Very 
trickily  it  kept  behind  and  a  little  lower,  thus 
making  it  impossible  for  Gaston  to  pepper  it 
with  machine-gun  bullets. 

Voissard,  however,  had  no  intention  of  per- 
mitting the  Aviatik  this  liberty.  By  a  clever 
ruse  he  caused  his  plane  to  dive  sharply,  as 
though  hit  and  disabled.  Allowing  it  to  careen 
wildly  for  an  instant,  he  made  a  lightning  drop 
in  front  of  the  German  plane,  then  swept  past 
it  like  a  flash.  "When  he  again  brought  it  to  an 
even  keel  it  was  under  the  Boche  plane  and  a 
little  to  its  rear. 

Gaston  whooped  with  joy  and  turned  the 
machine  gun  upon  it.  Incidental  with  this,  one 
of  the  Nieuports  came  to  the  rescue.  Under  a 
heavy  fusillade  the  Aviatik  promptly  took  to 
her  heels  and  sailed  out  of  danger. 

Again  Voissard  took  up  the  homeward  flight. 
The  plane  was  still  behind  the  Boche  lines  when 
a  well  directed  shell  from  a  German  Archie 
grazed  it,  causing  it  to  pitch  violently.  The 
shock  of  the  explosion,  coupled  with  the  wild 
rocking,  would  have  thrown  Jimmy  out  of  the 
plane  had  he  not  been  securely  strapped  in. 


UP  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  177 

He  saw  Gaston  clap  a  hand  to  his  breast  and 
crumple.  Splinters  flew  from  one  of  the  struts. 
The  plane  continued  to  stagger.  It  was  drop- 
ping now.  Yes,  Voissard  was  still  at  the  con- 
trols, working  like  a  madman  to  keep  the  plane 
under  guidance.  Still  the  rushing  descent  con- 
tinued. Jimmy  felt  a  queer  giddiness  sweep 
over  him  in  long,  sickening  waves.  This  was 
the  end. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  UNSPEAKABLE  CRIME 

WITHIN  the  next  two  minutes  Jimmy 
reversed  his  opinion  that  the  end  had 
come.  True,  they  were  still  dropping, 
but  at  the  instigation  of  a  master  hand  on  the 
controls,  the  Voisin  was  once  more  obeying 
its  pilot  and  volplaning  easily  earthward. 

Now  they  were  not  more  than  two  hundred 
feet  from  the  ground  and  hanging  over  a  ruined 
farmhouse.  Some  distance  behind  it  stood  a 
dilapidated  barn.  A  little  below  the  barn  was 
an  orchard  of  apple  trees  which  sloped  grad- 
ually down  to  open  meadow  land. 

At  a  point  in  the  meadow  close  to  the  or- 
chard, the  plane  finally  made  harbor.  As  it 
touched  ground  Jimmy  peered  anxiously  about 
for  signs  of  human  beings.  German  soldiers 
could  not  be  far  away.  Behind  the  German 
lines,  as  they  were,  they  could  not  hope  to 
escape  being  seen  and  fired  upon. 

Strangely  enough,  no  shots  were  fired  as  the 
178 


THE  UNSPEAKABLE  CRIME  179 

plane  made  a  landing.  Over  all  hung  the  mys- 
tery of  dawn,  broken  only  by  the  pounding  of 
the  guns  on  the  battle  lines.  Jimmy  had  fully 
expected  to  fight  for  his  life  the  instant  he 
reached  terra  firma.  It  dazed  him  to  find  him- 
self behind  the  German  lines,  for  even  a  mo- 
ment, unmolested. 

"We  are  in  a  most  dangerous  locality,  mon 
cher  Blaise."  Voissard  had  already  left  the 
machine  and  was  circling  it,  making  a  hasty 
examination  as  he  went.  "We  must  leave  here 
at  once!"  he  continued.  "It  was  either  this 
or  perhaps  a  fall  when  over  the  Boche  lines.  I 
knew  not  the  extent  of  damage  done  by  that 
Archie.  It  has  lost  me  my  good  Gaston.  That 
is,  indeed,  a  loss.  I  am  deeply  grieved.  Yet 
this  is  not  the  occasion  for  the  grief.  A  mo- 
ment and  I  shall  know  how  quickly  we  may 
ascend.  I  knew  this  spot  and  determined  thus 
to  take  the  risk  of  one  little  moment's  land- 
ing." 

"Is  there  anything  I  can  do,  sir?"  Jimmy 
eagerly  offered.    "Perhaps  I  can  help " 

"Wait." 

Voissard  dived  into  the  car,  returning  with 
a  pair  of  revolvers  and  a  box  of  cartridges. 

"Take  these  and  stand  guard,"  he  ordered, 
offering  one  of  the  revolvers  to  Jimmy. 
"Should  a  Boche  soldier  appear,  shoot  him  on 
sight.  It  is  yet  early  and  we  are  some  distance 
from  the  enemy  trenches.    Still  there  is  always 


180    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

the  outpost  gnard  or  the  patrol  to  reckon  with. 
Again,  this  is  of  a  truth  a  fitting  spot  for  an 
early  morning  execution." 

Obediently  mounting  guard,  Jimmy  stood  at 
alert  while  the  aviator  busied  himself  with  his 
machine.  For  twenty  minutes  he  remained 
thus,  his  ears  cocked  for  the  slightest  hostile 
sound,  his  eyes  keeping  a  bright  lookout. 

"It  is  well!'1'  the  aviator  at  length  exclaimed, 
raising  up  from  the  engine.  "The  damage  to 
the  plane  has  been,  after  all,  small.  "We  shall 
regain  our  lines  easily,  provided  we  can  escape 
enemy  planes  on  our  way.  We  cannot  fight  as 
we  have  no  Gaston.  The  enemy  guns  we  may 
escape  by  flying  high.  Come ;  into  the  seat,  my 
boy.  We  must  lose  no  time.  Do  not  fail  to 
strap  yourself  in." 

Motioning  him  into  the  observer's  seat, 
Voissard  turned  sorrowfully  to  the  crumpled 
form  of  the  bomber.  It  had  slid  well  down 
into  the  seat  Gaston  had  been  occupying  when 
killed.  Strapping  the  body  securely,  so  that  it 
could  not  tumble  out,  the  aviator  sighed: 

"Mon  pauvre  ami,"  he  mourned.  "It  is  the 
best  I  can  do  for  you  until  we  have  reached 
our  station." 

Very  grimly  he  strode  to  the  propeller. 
Starting  the  engine  he  leaped  into  the  pilot's 
seat.  The  engine  responding  with  a  deafen- 
ing roar,  the  plane  began  to  roll  over  the  soft 
ground. 


THE  UNSPEAKABLE  CRIME  181 

His  revolver  in  readiness,  Jimmy  kept  his 
eyes  trained  earthward  as  they  left  the  meadow 
and  took  to  the  air.  Again  they  passed  over 
the  orchard  and  were  on  the  point  of  spiraling 
upward  when  a  shont  issued  from  Jimmy's 
lips  that  Voissard  heard  even  above  the  noise 
of  the  engine. 

Simultaneous  with  it  a  revolver  spoke.  In- 
stantly Cousin  Emile  looked  down  and  under- 
stood. Shutting  off  the  motor,  he  volplaned 
and  made  skilful  landing  on  an  open  space  be- 
tween the  barn  and  the  orchard.  Before  the 
plane  touched  earth,  the  revolver  had  spoken 
again. 

' 'Oh,  the  brutes!  The  dirty,  yellow  brutes! 
Thank  God,  I've  done  for  two  of  'em!" 

Another  shot  accompanied  Jimmy's  hoarse 
exclamation,  shouted  in  a  perfect  frenzy  of 
loathing.  Out  there  in  the  stillness  of  the 
morning,  Jimmy  had  come  upon  the  thing 
which  will  forever  brand  the  Germans  as  fiends 
incarnate.  Half  a  dozen  Boches  were  about 
to  crucify  an  American  soldier. 

Looking  down,  his  eyes  had  come  to  rest  on 
the  barn.  Grouped  about  the  closed  door  were 
half  a  dozen  German  soldiers.  He  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  hatless,  olive-drab  figure,  spread- 
eagled  against  the  door.  He  saw  the  gleam  of 
bayonets — then  he  shouted  and  in  the  same  in- 
stant fired  his  revolver. 

Intent  on  their  fiendish  work,  the  crucifiers 


182    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

had  paid  no  attention  to  the  purr  of  the  aero- 
plane's engine.  They  were  not  looking  for  an 
enemy  plane  so  far  behind  their  own  lines. 

At  Jimmy's  first  shot  a  Boche  threw  np  his 
arms  and  dropped.  Instantly  the  other  five 
whirled  and  left  their  victim,  whose  outspread 
arms  were  bonnd  to  two  staples  hastily  driven 
into  the  door.  Then  another  Hun  clutched  his 
breast  and  pitched  forward.  A  third  fell,  shot 
through  the  head. 

Always  cowardly  when  cornered,  two  of  the 
remaining  trio  took  one  look  at  the  plane  and 
ran.  Only  one  stood  his  ground.  Bayonet  dis- 
carded, he  pulled  an  automatic  pistol  and 
opened  fire  on  Jimmy. 

A  shot  from  Voissard's  revolver  pierced  the 
Hun's  left  arm.  Jimmy  fired  again.  He 
thought  he  had  missed  his  man,  and  was  about 
to  try  again  when  he  saw  the  Boche  sway,  take 
a  tottering  step  forward,  and  collapse  forward 
in  a  heap  on  the  ground. 

The  plane  having  rolled  along  a  few  yards 
and  come  to  a  standstill,  Jimmy  and  the  avi- 
ator leaped  out  of  it  and  ran  to  the  rescue  of 
the  trussed  Sammy. 

"My  poor  fellow " 

Sheer  amazement  checked  the  expression  of 
sympathy  that  welled  to  Cousin  Emile's  lips. 
His  young  friend  Blaise  was  laughing  and  cry- 
ing and  hugging  the  man  fastened  to  the  door 
as  though  quite  bereft  of  his  senses. 


THE  UNSPEAKABLE  CRIME  183 

"Oh,  Schnitz!  Oh,  Schnitz!"  Jimmy  sobbed 
out  wildly. 

"Blazes,  my — bunkae!"  Down  Schnitzel's 
wan  cheeks  the  tears  were  streaming. 

Then  Voissard  knew  and  his  own  eyes 
blurred.  For  a  moment  he  stood  back,  saying 
nothing.  Realization  of  their  peril  made  not 
only  speech  but  prompt  action  necessary. 
Whipping  a  clasp  knife  from  a  coat  pocket  he 
opened  it  and  proceeded  to  cut  Schnitzel  loose 
from  the  door.  This  done  he  offered  his  hand 
to  the  German- American,  saying  simply: 
"Thanks  to  le  bon  Dieu,  we  arrived  in  time. 
Now  we  must  leave  here  instantly.  Two  of  the 
beasts  have  escaped.  They  will  give  the  alarm 
and  a  patrol  will  be  sent  out  against  us.  We 
must  make  haste  or  perhaps  all  suffer  the  fate 
intended  for  you.  The  Boches  will  be  much 
enraged  over  the  loss  of  these  canaille." 

Voissard  scornfully  indicated  the  four  dead 
Boches,  sprawling  hideously  on  the  ground,  the 
result  of  Jimmy's  ability  to  shoot  to  kill. 

"I'd  forgotten  the  dogs  for  the  moment." 
Turning  from  Schnitzel,  Jimmy's  face  regis- 
tered the  utmost  loathing  as  his  eyes  took  in 
the  ugly  but  satisfactory  sight. 

"Just  a  second  and  then  we'll  beat  it.  Come 
here,  Blazes." 

Schnitzel  strode  over  to  one  of  the  dead,  lying 
face  downward  in  the  mud.  Grasping  the  body 
by  the  shoulders,  he  turned  it  viciously  on  its 


184    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

back.  It  was  clothed  in  the  uniform  of  a  Boche 
captain. 

Jimmy  peered  down  at  the  ghastly,  black- 
bearded  face.  The  dead  man's  eyes,  wide  open, 
stared  malignantly  up  at  him. 

"The  tiger  man!"  burst  from  his  amazed 
lips. 

At  the  cry,  Voissard  sprang  to  his  side.  To- 
gether the  three  men  stood  looking  down  for  an 
instant  at  that  glassy-eyed,  wicked  face. 

"And  I  got  him!" 

Jimmy  spoke  in  awed,  unbelieving  tones. 

"Come,"  Voissard  warned  sharply.  "To 
the  plane.  The  explanation  of  this  must  wait. 
I  doubt  not  that  it  must  be  of  a  truth  amazing." 

"It  is,"  Schnitzel  grimly  assured. 

With  one  accord  the  three  turned  and  hur- 
ried to  the  spot  where  the  aeroplane  stood. 
Turning  his  revolver  over  to  Schnitzel,  the 
aviator  ordered  them  into  the  plane,  provided 
Schnitzel  with  an  extra  coat  and  cap  which  had 
belonged  to  Gaston,  and  made  hurried  prepa- 
rations to  rise.  The  open  space  between  the 
barn  and  orchard  was  large  and  level  enough 
to  permit  of  an  easy  get-away. 

Hardly  had  the  plane  left  the  ground  when 
the  dreaded  patrol  appeared.  It  was  composed 
of  at  least  a  dozen  Boches.  They  charged 
through  the  orchard,  shooting  as  they  came. 
Bullets  whistled  past  the  plane,  but  failed  to 
touch  it. 


THE  UNSPEAKABLE  CRIME  185 

Spiraling  on  upward,  the  plane  drew  away 
from  the  orchard  and  beyond  range  of  Boche 
rifles.  Higher  and  higher  it  flew  and  found 
protection  above  a  long  gray  cloud-bank.  The 
morning  sky  heavily  overcast,  Cousin  Emile 
looked  to  the  friendly  clouds  to  shield  them 
in  their  flight  over  the  German  lines. 

Once  well  above  the  clouds,  Schnitzel  had 
laid  aside  his  revolver  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  machine  gun.  Finding  a  fresh  belt 
of  cartridges  close  beside  it,  he  removed  the 
spent  belt,  which  Gaston  had  used  up  in  the 
attack  on  the  Aviatik,  and  loaded  the  gun  for 
ready  use. 

Traveling  at  high  speed  half  an  hour's  run 
would  see  them  clear  of  the  German  lines.  As 
they  continued  the  flight  the  clouds  began  to 
scatter  and  the  sun  came  out.  Above  No  Man's 
Land  they  broke  from  the  clouds  and  in  the 
same  instant  encountered  a  foe.  Not  far  ahead 
and  above  them  flew  an  Aviatik  on  its  way  back 
to  the  German  lines.  It  had  also  been  taking 
advantage  of  the  cloud  curtain. 

Each  pilot  saw  his  enemy  in  the  same  mo- 
ment. Without  a  gunner,  Voissard  realized 
that  in  flight  lay  the  only  chance  of  safety.  He 
must  dash  straight  on  under  the  Aviatik  and 
win  clear  of  it  if  he  could.  Its  speed  being 
greater  than  that  of  his  own  plane,  he  already 
regarded  himself  as  doomed. 

As  the  plane  darted  on  in  a  swift,  level 


186    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


course,  Voissard's  ears  caught  a  dim  rattling 
sound  that  briefly  startled  him.  Had  Gaston 
come  to  life?  A  flashing  glance  over  his 
shoulder  revealed  not  Gaston,  but  Schnitzel,  at 
the  machine  gun.  Schnitzel  had  acted  with 
lightning  swiftness.  His  carefully  gathered 
knowledge  of  guns  and  aircraft  now  saved  the 
day. 

Behind  the  Aviatik  and  on  an  even  keel  under 
it,  he  knew  their  position  to  be  ideal  for  hitting 
the  Boche  plane.  Having  made  ready  for  any 
emergency,  he  had  opened  tire  at  the  right  mo- 
ment. A  rain  of  bullets  hit  the  Aviatik 
squarely.  One  of  them  toppled  the  pilot  over. 
Others  must  have  struck  a  vital  point  of  the 
machine,  for  it  began  to  stagger.  Fairly  rid- 
dled by  bullets,  the  doomed  plane  lurched 
wildly,  turned  half  over,  and  began  a  last 
tumultuous,  uncontrolled  descent  to  earth. 
Schnitzel  had  indeed  made  good  as  a  gun- 
ner. 

The  Aviatik  done  to  death,  the  flight  was 
swiftly  continued.  Now  over  the  American 
lines  the  danger  momently  lessened.  In  the 
distance  they  saw  three  French  planes  chasing 
a  Boche  Albatross  that  was  making  a  desperate 
effort  to  get  away  from  its  pursuers. 

They  came  at  last  to  the  aviation  station  and 
were  received  jubilantly  by  a  group  of  shouting 
aviators  who  had  run  out  to  meet  them.  It 
had  been  feared  by  those  who  had  taken  part 


THE  UNSPEAKABLE  CRIME  187 

in  the  bombing  expedition  that  Voissard  had 
made  his  last  flight. 

Clambering  out  of  the  aeroplane,  it  seemed 
to  Jimmy  Blaise  as  thongh  he  was  returning 
to  reality  from  a  strange  dream.  Only  the  liv- 
ing, breathing  presence  of  Schnitz,  his  bunkie, 
standing  beside  him,  assured  him  that  he  had 
not  dreamed.  His  ''hunch"  that  Schnitz  and 
he  would  meet  again  had  not  been  an  idle  one. 
Out  of  the  very  jaws  of  death,  Schnitz  had 
come  back. 


CHAPTER  XXTTT 

LOYAL.  UNTO  DEATH 

WHAT  happened  next,  Jimmy  Blaise 
never  forgot.  The  instant  Voissard 
was  out  of  the  plane  he  strode  over  to 
Schnitzel.  Laying  a  hand  affectionately  on  the 
German- American's  shoulder,  he  addressed  in 
French  the  group  of  aviators  crowded  about 
him. 

"My  comrades,"  he  said,  "here  is  indeed  a 
gunner ! ' '  Then  he  went  on  to  relate  to  his  fel- 
low flyers  the  details  of  the  fight  with  the  Avi- 
atik,  speaking  rapidly  and  gesticulating  in  true 
French  fashion.  Going  back  further,  he  next 
cited  Jimmy  up  for  honors.  When  he  had  con- 
cluded his  account,  Jimmy  and  Schnitzel  under- 
went the  embarrassment  of  each  being  saluted 
on  both  cheeks  by  Cousin  Emile.  Nor  did  it 
stop  there.  The  enthusiastic  French  flyers  pro- 
ceeded to  do  them  honor  in  the  same  way. 
Afterward  both  solemnly  swore  to  each  other  in 
private  never  to  do  anything  again  in  France 

188 


LOYAL  UNTO  DEATH 189 

that  would  pnt  them  in  line  for  another  "kiss- 
ing bee." 

Outwardly  they  behaved  very  well,  consider- 
ing the  ingrained  prejudice  a  sturdy  American 
lad  has  to  being  thus  saluted  by  his  own  sex. 
"When  it  was  all  over,  they  accompanied  Vois- 
sard  to  headquarters.  Both  were  immeasur- 
ably relieved  to  find  that  the  squadron  com- 
mander made  no  attempt  to  kiss  them.  He 
shook  hands  with  them,  however,  and  said  some 
highly  complimentary  things  to  each. 

Both  Schnitzel  and  Jimmy  were  longing 
with  all  their  hearts  for  a  chance  to  talk  things 
out.  While  in  the  plane  the  noise  of  the  engine 
had  made  exchange  of  speech  quite  impossible. 

Of  his  own  accord,  however,  Jimmy  could 
have  cheerfully  hugged  Cousin  Emile  when  the 
aviator  tactfully  cut  short  the  interview  with 
the  squadron  commander  and  marshalled  his 
heroic  charges  to  the  quarters  of  a  friend,  a 
Communique  of  that  particular  escadrille. 

"Here  we  shall  have  the  hot  bath.  After- 
ward the  breakfast  at  L 'escadrille  mess.  My 
friend,  Pierre,  is  not  within.  Always  his  quar- 
ters are  mine,  when  I  chance  to  visit  here," 
Voissard  explained  as  they  entered  the  Com- 
munique's snug  little  quarters. 

"I  guess  you  knew,  sir,  that  we  were  dying 
to  talk,"  burst  forth  Jimmy  gratefully. 

"I  had  the  suspicion."  Voissard  smiled  at 
impetuous  Blazes.    "Soon  the  opportunity  will 


190    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

be  ours.  May  I  suggest  that  you  have  the  pa- 
tience until  after  the  bath  f  At  breakfast  there 
will  be  no  one  to  interrupt." 

The  luxury  of  a  hot  bath  was  greatly  appre- 
ciated by  the  three  adventurers.  Schnitzel, 
however,  deplored  the  dilapidated  condition  of 
his  uniform. 

"It's  been  dragged  all  through  Bocheland, " 
he  mourned.  "Guess  I'll  keep  my  rags  cov- 
ered with  this  big  coat.  I'll  have  to  go  on 
borrowing  this  cap,  too,  until  I  get  back  to 
Sammy  headquarters. 

Seeking  the  escadrille  mess,  they  were  glad 
to  find  it  practically  deserted  of  occupants.. 
The  members  of  the  escadrille  had  already 
breakfasted  and  were  either  out  in  the  field  or 
on  various  details. 

"Now,  Schnitz,  for  Heaven's  sake  tell  us 
what  happened  to  you  out  there  in  No  Man's 
Land, ' '  sighed  Jimmy,  when  the  trio  had  taken 
seats  at  a  table  and  ordered  breakfast. 

"It  seems  about  a  hundred  years  since 
then."  Schnitzel  paused.  For  an  instant  he 
was  silent. 

"I  hadn't  gone  six  yards  from  that  shell 


*  i 


crater  when  I  ran  full  tilt  into  a  Boche  patrol 
he  began.  "I  put  up  a  fight  and  croaked  two 
of  'em.  They  were  too  many  for  me.  One  of 
the  brutes  hit  me  over  the  head  and  I  went  to 
sleep.  When  I  came  to  I  thought  for  a  minute 
I  was  back  in  our  own  trenches  and  that  I'd 


LOYAL  UNTO  DEATH  191 

been  dreaming.  My  head  hurt  like  sixty.  I 
put  my  hand  up  to  the  back  of  it  and  when  I 
looked  at  it  it  was  covered  with  blood.  Then 
I  saw  a  couple  of  Sammies  a  little  way  down 
the  trench.  They  looked  all  banged  up,  too.  I 
started  to  yell  at  'em  and  a  Boche  sentry  came 
up  and  kicked  me  and  spit  on  me  and  ordered 
me  to  shut  up.  I  felt  for  my  identification  tag 
and  it  was  gone.  Then  I  knew  where  I  was 
all  right  enough. 

' '  That  sentry  was  dying  for  me  to  say  some- 
thing so  he  could  kick  me  some  more,  but  I 
fooled  him.  I  shut  up  like  a  clam.  I  stayed 
there  all  day  without  so  much  as  a  drink  of 
water.  The  sentry,  the  fellow  that  kicked  me, 
was  on  the  job  every  minute  till  he  was  relieved. 
His  relief  was  worse.  He  kept  walking  by  the 
three  of  us  and  every  time  he  passed  us  he'd 
either  strike  or  kick  us.  Our  hands  were  tied 
behind  our  backs  and  our  feet  were  tied  to- 
gether, so  we  couldn  't  do  a  thing  to  him.  When- 
ever we  tried  to  talk  to  one  another  we  got  a 
clip  from  him. 

"After  dark  a  couple  of  Bodies  came  and 
untied  my  feet.  They  walked  me  to  a  dugout. 
There  were  half  a  dozen  Hun  officers  there. 
One  of  'em,  a  Boche  captain,  began  talking  to 
me  in  German.  I  pretended  I  didn't  under- 
stand. He  got  raving  mad  and  said  he  knew  I 
was  a  German  by  my  identification  tag.  I 
didn't  fall  for  him,  though. 


192    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"Then  he  turned  to  an  Unteroffizier  and  or- 
dered :  '  Question  him  in  English. '  The  fellow 
saluted.  Then  he  asked  me  in  English  if  my 
name  was  Franz  Schnitzel.  I  said  it  was  and 
he  asked  me  if  I  could  understand  German.  I 
said  I  was  ashamed  to  say  that  I  could.  He 
told  the  captain  and  the  brute  got  up  and  hit 
me  across  the  mouth. 

"He  hit  me  a  good  one.  It  made  me  dizzy, 
but  I  pulled  myself  together  and  laughed  in  his 
face.  Then  I  turned  on  the  Unterdog  and  let 
him  have  it.  I  told  him  I  hated  the  Boches  like 
poison  and  that  I  was  all  American  and  not  a 
bit  Hun  and  a  lot  of  other  things  that  weren't 
exactly  complimentary  to  the  Kaiser  and  his 
brood. 

"I  wondered  why  they  didn't  all  jump  on  me 
at  once  and  finish  me.  They  wanted  to,  I  guess, 
but  they  didn't.  They  had  other  plans  for  me. 
The  Unterdog  told  me  I  was  a  traitor  to  the 
Fatherland  and  that  they  were  going  to  make 
an  example  of  me.  I  said  for  them  to  go  as  far 
as  they  liked,  and  that  ended  the  seance.  The 
two  Boche  watchdogs  took  me  back  to  the 
trench  and  the  one  behind  me  kicked  me  all  the 
way  there. 

"I  didn't  get  anything  to  eat  that  night  but 
next  morning  I  got  a  bit  of  black  bread  and  a 
tin  cup  full  of  barley  coffee.  I  was  crazy  for 
water,  but  nothing  doing.  I  got  a  little  in  the 
afternoon  and  a  piece  of  bread  and  some  sau- 


LOYAL  UNTO  DEATH 193 

sage  at  night.  That's  a  sample  of  what  hap- 
pened every  day  for  the  next  three  days.  I 
used  to  take  a  trip  to  the  captain's  dugout 
once  a  day  and  he  'd  try  to  make  me  talk  to  him 
in  German.  The  third  time  I  went  I  slammed 
the  Boches  so  hard  to  the  interpreter  that  when 
he  told  the  captain  what  I  said  the  brute  got 
crazy  and  flew  at  me  like  a  wild  beast.  He  gave 
me  a  terrible  walloping  with  a  gun-barrel.  I 
went  to  sleep  and  had  to  be  dragged  back  to 
the  trench.  It  was  one  of  the  reserve  trenches 
I  was  in.  I  had  to  make  a  long  hike  through  a 
com.  trench  every  time  I  went  to  visit  the  cap- 
tain. 

"It  went  on  like  that  until  last  night.  Early 
in  the  evening  I  took  my  usual  trip  to  the  dug- 
out. When  I  got  there  I  saw  a  new  face  in  the 
officer  crowd.  It  belonged  to  that  beast  you 
croaked,  Blazes.  He  had  the  wickedest  pair  of 
eyes  I  ever  saw  in  a  man's  head.  I  didn't  know 
him  from  Adam,  but  he  thought  he  knew  me,  it 
seemed.  He  kept  staring  at  me  for  a  while, 
then  he  started  to  talk  a  blue  streak  to  the  cap- 
tain. I  caught  most  of  it.  Maybe  I  wasn't 
dazed  to  hear  him  telling  all  about  the  bridge 
racket  back  at  Marvin  and  the  Columbia,  and 
that  I  was  one  of  the  friends  of  the  American 
swine — that  was  you,  Blazes — who  had  done  for 
him  on  the  Columbia." 

"How  did  he  know  that  you  were?"  Jimmy 
cried  out  in  excitement. 


194    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"He'd  been  hanging  around  the  French 
training  camp  for  a  week,  shadowing  yon.  He 
knew  every  one  of  the  five  Brothers  by  sight. 
He  followed  ns  to  Paris  and  back  and  tried  to 
shoot  ns  up  that  night." 

"I  knew  it  was  he!"  exploded  Jimmy. 
"What  did  I  tell  you?"  He  turned  trium- 
phantly to  Voissard. 

"You  were  indeed  correct."  With  this  smil- 
ing assurance,  Cousin  Emile  motioned  to 
Schnitzel  to  continue. 

"He  went  on  about  you,  Blazes,  to  beat  the 
band.  He  certainly  called  you  some  names. 
That  wireless  fellow  on  the  Columbia  was  his 
son.  That  came  out  in  the  talk.  The  fellow 
told  about  signaling  a  TJ-Boat  the  night  you  got 
him.  He  had  it  all  planned  to  jump  overboard 
and  be  picked  up  by  a  Boche  boat.  Then  you 
queered  his  game.  He  didn't  know  a  thing 
about  the  real  smash.  His  son  put  that  over 
by  himself,  I  guess.    The  father  was  picked  up 

by  a  trawler  and  landed  in  L .     You  saw 

him  on  the  station  platform.  He  told  about 
that,  too. 

"That's  about  all  of  his  history,  except  that 
he  asked  the  captain  to  turn  me  over  to  him  to 
deal  with.  You  ought  to  have  seen  his  eyes 
when  he  said  it.  Some  healthy  little  hate  they 
registered.  I  was  turned  over  to  him  next 
morning.  Before  daylight  he  headed  a  gang 
that  came  for  me  and  marched  me  off  to  that 


LOYAL  UNTO  DEATH 195 

barn.  It  was  a  long  walk.  You  know  the  rest. 
Your  coming  was  a  miracle.  I'd  made  up  my 
mind  not  to  peep  when  they  bayoneted  me  to 
that  door.  I  was  going  to  die  game  for  the 
U.  S." 

"Oh,  Glory,  but  I'm  glad  I  croaked  him!" 
Jimmy's  exclamation  rang  with  an  intensity  of 
[hatred.  "He  was  some  spy,  Schnitz.  Mon 
Captaine,"  he  glanced  mischievously  at  Cousin 
Emile,  "found  out  all  about  him.  His  name 
was  von  Kreitzen.  He  was  an  Austrian  spy; 
one  of  the  biggest  villains  going." 

"I  never  heard  his  name,"  returned  Schnit- 
zel. "They  never  called  him  anything  but  cap- 
tain. Guess  he  must  have  been  lying  low  in  the 
army.  The  other  officers  fairly  groveled  to  him. 
You  ought  to  be  decorated  for  croaking  him, 
Blazes." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  so  much."  Jimmy  grinned 
cheerfully.  "You've  got  something  coming  to 
you,  Schnitz,  when  you  get  back  to  headquar- 
ters. You  stopped  the  raid  that  night,  only 
you  never  knew  it. ' ' 

"France  will  also  wish  to  honor  you,"  de- 
clared Voissard.  "You  did  the  great  work  this 
morning  with  the  machine  gun.  My  poor,  good 
Gaston  could  not  have  done  better.  I  would 
that  you  were  my  gunner." 

"I  thank  you,  mon  Captaine/'  Schnitzel 
smilingly  borrowed  Jimmy's  familiar  appella- 
tion in  addressing  Voissard.    "I  should  like  to 


196    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

be  your  gnnner.  I'd  accept  the  detail  in  a 
minute  except  for  one  thing.  I  can't  resign  my 
job  with  Uncle  Sammy." 

Schnitzel's  dark  face  was  illuminated  by  a 
radiant  flash  of  patriotism  that  sprang  from 
the  depths  of  his  soul. 

"Never  mind.  If  you  cannot  be  my  gunner, 
you  can  always  be  my  honored  comrade  and 
friend."  Across  the  table  Voissard's  hand 
went  out  to  Schnitzel.  "It  is  all  one.  We  are 
linked  by  all  that  we  hold  highest  to  rid  the 
world  of  the  curse  of  militarism." 

"It's  all  the  same  old  Glory  Road,  and  it 
leads  to  Berlin  and  victory  for  the  Allies,"  sup- 
plemented Jimmy.  "Whether  we're  Sammies, 
Frenchies,  Tommies  or  Wops,  we're  all  doing 
our  bit  for  the  same  old  cause." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

WAITING   FOR  ZEEO   HOTJE 

£1  T  "T IM  is  done, ' '  announced  Ignace  Pu- 
linski  solemnly,  as  he  slipped  the  let- 
**■  ter  he  had  just  finished  writing  into 

an  envelope.  "So  I  never  come  back,  will  poor 
my  mothar  this  have  an'  keep  always,  rememer 
me." 

"Oh,  can  the  croak,  Iggy, "  ordered  Jimmy 
Blaise,  looking  up  from  his  writing.  "We're 
coming  back,  every  last  one  of  us.  I've  got  a 
hunch  that  this  won't  be  our  last  stab  at  the 
Boches." 

"That's  as  good  as  a  safe  conduct  pass 
through  the  shindig,"  declared  Bob  emphatic- 
ally. "I've  a  lot  of  respect  for  those  hunches 
of  yours  since  Schnitz  came  back." 

Gathered  in  a  corner  of  a  front-line  dugout, 
the  five  Brothers  were  conducting  a  writing- 
bee  which,  in  spite  of  Jimmy's  "hunch,"  might 
be  the  last  for  part,  if  not  all,  of  them.  Four 
o'clock  the  next  morning  was  to  be  zero  hour 

197 


198    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

for  them.  The  long-expected  ordeal  was  at 
hand.  The  509th  men  were  soon  to  know  how 
it  felt  to  go  Over  the  Top. 

It  was  now  a  few  minutes  past  ten  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  Just  after  dark  the  order  had 
come.  Two  days  had  elapsed  since  their  return 
from  rest  billets  to  the  trenches.  They  had 
returned  to  front-line  duty  on  the  morning  fol- 
lowing a  furious  bombardment  of  the  Boche 
trenches  by  American  batteries,  which  had 
ended  in  a  Sammy  raiding  party  Over  the 
Top.  The  raid  had  been  a  great  success  so 
far  as  the  capture  of  guns  and  prisoners  was 
concerned.  Many  Sammies  had  been  sacrificed, 
however.  As  a  result  the  resting  detachments 
had  come  back  to  replace  their  lost  comrades. 

During  those  two  days,  Fritz  had  been  hav- 
ing his  own  troubles.  Night  and  day  the  Amer- 
icans had  kept  up  a  harrying  rifle  and  machine- 
gun  fire.  Hordes  of  Allied  aeroplanes  had 
sailed  boldly  over  the  German  lines,  dropping 
bombs  on  the  reinforcements  and  supplies 
which  the  Boches  were  engaged  in  bringing  up 
to  their  own  lines.  Fierce  indeed  had  been  the 
aerial  fights.  Many  an  intrepid  pilot  on  both 
sides  had  gone  crashing  down  to  death.  Un- 
daunted, the  Allies  continued  to  send  fresh  re- 
lays of  airmen  out  to  carry  on  this  most  haz- 
ardous work. 

Now,  while  the  iron  was  hot,  it  had  been 
determined  to  strike  another  blow.    Thus  it  was 


WAITING  FOR  ZERO  HOUR  199 


that  Jimmy  Blaise  and  his  bunkies  were  writ- 
ing their  home  letters,  preparatory  to  taking 
part  in  the  raid  to  be  made  just  before  dawn. 
For  almost  two  weeks  they  had  been  jogging 
along  a  smooth,  peaceful  stretch  of  the  famous 
Glory  Boad.  Now  they  would  soon  strike 
rough  hiking. 

On  the  evening  following  the  rescue  of 
Franz  Schnitzel  by  Jimmy  Blaise  and  Voissard, 
the  two  bunkies  had  returned  to  billets.  Vois- 
sard had  accompanied  them  and  taken  part  in 
the  joyful  little  celebration  that  marked  the 
restoration  of  Schnitzel  to  his  Brothers. 

Headquarters  was  also  glad  to  see  Schnitzel. 
He  received  flattering  commendation  for  his 
splendid  services.  He  now  wore  on  his  left 
sleeve  the  insignia  of  a  sergeant.  There  came 
for  him,  too,  a  wonderful  day  when  France 
acknowledged  him  as  a  hero  and  placed  her 
seal  of  approval  upon  his  breast.  Jimmy 
Blaise,  also,  came  in  for  his  share  of  glory. 
France  was  only  too  ready  to  decorate  one  who 
had  rid  the  world  of  a  spy  such  as  Adolph  von 
Kreitzen.  What  amazed  Jimmy  most  of  all  was 
the  receipt  of  a  large  sum  of  money,  the  price 
set  by  the  French  government  on  von 
Kreitzen 's  head. 

For  the  five  Brothers  the  past  two  weeks  had 
been  one  perpetual  holiday.  It  was  over  now 
and  again  they  were  facing  War  in  all  its  grim- 
ness. 


200    THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 


They  had  returned  from  their  eventful  so- 
journ behind  the  lines  inspired  with  renewed 
loyalty  and  inspiration.  This  time  on  entering 
the  trenches  they  had  felt  little  of  the  heavy 
oppression  which  had  hung  over  them  on  their 
first  journey  to  the  fire  trench. 

* '  Of  course,  we  're  not  veterans  yet  by  a  long 
shot,"  Bob  had  confided  to  Jimmy  Blaise  at  the 
beginning  of  their  second  trench  detail.  ' '  There 
are  quite  a  few  little  friendly  acts  that  Fritz 
hasn't  got  around  to  do  for  us  yet.  For  one 
thing,  we  haven't  been  gassed.  Isn't  that  a 
sweet  prospect  to  look  forward  to?  Betcha! 
I  only  hope  we'll  be  all  dressed  up  in  our  gas 
masks  when  the  party  begins. ' ' 

Thus  far,  however,  Fritz  had  kept  gas  dona- 
tions at  home.  Given  a  day  when  the  wind  fav- 
ored him  he  would  undoubtedly  display  great 
generosity  in  this  respect. 

' '  Twenty  after  ten. ' '  Jimmy  Blaise  rose  and 
consulted  his  wrist  watch.  "I'll  have  to  be  get- 
ting back  to  my  station.  I  promised  the  lieu- 
tenant I'd  be  back  at  ten-thirty  sharp.  It  was 
mighty  kind  in  him  to  let  me  off  to  write  my 
letters  and  have  a  chin-chin  with  you  f elloWs. ' ' 

"We  all  owe  our  officers  a  lot  for  the  same 
privilege,"  Roger  declared  gratefully.  "If  we 
don 't  do  'em  proud  when  the  grand  slam  comes, 
then  we  deserve  to  get  licked." 

"We're  going  to  do  'em  proud,"  emphasized 
Bob.    "Every  last  Sammy  is  aching  to  try  cold 


WAITING  FOR  ZERO  HOUR         201 

steel  on  the  Boches.  I  used  to  think  going  Over 
the  Top  would  be  the  limit.  But  I'm  not  afraid 
of  zero  hour  any  more." 

"So  once  think  I,"  confessed  Ignace,  "but 
no  now.  Only  am  I  the  sad  we  no  go  over  top 
side  by  each.  I  would  by  my  Brother  be  then, 
the  care  take." 

"You'll  have  all  you  can  do  to  take  care  of 
yourself,  Iggins,"  asserted  Schnitzel.  "It  is 
too  bad,  though,  that  we  can't  be  shoulder  to 
shoulder  in  the  big  dash. ' ' 

""We've  got  to  stay  where  we're  put,"  sighed 
Jimmy.  "Never  mind.  What's  the  odds 
where  we  fight,  so  long  as  we're  fighting  for 
the  same  good  old  scout,  Uncle  Sam?  Well, 
time's  up.  I've  got  to  beat  it.  Give  me  your 
letters.  The  lieutenant's  going  to  turn  'em 
over  to  a  man  who's  going  back  of  the  lines 
to-night." 

Now  on  their  feet,  his  bunkies  turned  over 
their  letters  to  Jimmy.  In  silence  the  five  left 
the  dugout.  Outside  it,  by  mutual  consent,  they 
halted  for  a  last  affectionate  hand  grip  all 
around. 

"We're  not  going  to  say  good-bye,  'cause 
I'm  just  as  sure  as  anything  that  it's  going  to 
be  all  0.  K.  for  the  five  Brothers,"  prophe- 
sied Jimmy.  "When  the  scrap's  over  and 
the  Boches  are  canned,  meet  me  in  this  dug- 
out. That's  a  date.  See  that  you  keep 
it." 


202     THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

"So  is  it."  Ignace  nodded,  bound  to  agree 
with  his  Best  Brother. 

"  'So  is  it,'  "  repeated  Bob.  "Never  say 
die.    The  right  dope  is,  'I'll  see  yon  later!'  " 

And  this  was  the  hopeful  watchword  the  five 
Brothers  took  with  them  as  they  separated, 
each  to  find  his  station  and  there  await  the 
fateful  coming  of  Zero  Hour. 

Just  how  truly  Jimmy's  prophecy  was  veri- 
fied remains  yet  to  be  told  in  ' '  The  Khaki  Boys 
Over  the  Top  ;  or,  Doing  and  Daring  for  Uncle 
Sam." 


THE  KHAKI  BOYS  SERIES 


By  CART.  GORDON   BATES 

izmo.    Cloth.    Illustrated.    Jacket  in  full  color. 
Price  per  volume,  SO  cents,  postpaid. 


All  who  love  the  experiences  and  adven- 
tures of  our  American  boys,  fighting  for  the 
freedom  of  democracy  in  the  world,  will  be 
delighted  with  these  vivid  and  true-to-life 
stories  of  the  camp  and  field  in  the  great 
war. 


THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  CAMP  STIRLING 

or  Training  for  the  Big  Fight  in  France 
Two  zealous  young  patriots  volunteer  and 
begin  their  military  training.  On  the  train 
going  to  camp  they  meet  two  rookies  with 
whom  they  become  ©hums.  Together  they 
get  into  a  baffling  camp  mystery  that  de- 
velops into  an  extraordinary  spy-plot.  They  defeat  the  ene- 
mies of  their  country  and  incidentally  help  one  another  to 
promotion  both  in  friendship  and  service. 

THE  KHAKI  BOYS  ON  THE  WAY 

or  Doing  Their  Bit  on  Sea  and  Land. 

Our  soldier  boys  having  completed  their  training  at  Camp  Ster- 
ling are  transferred  to  a  Southern  cantonment  from  which  they 
are  finally  sent  aboard  a  troop-ship  for  France.  On  the  trip 
their  ship  is  sunk  by  a  U-boat  and  their  adventures  are 
realistic  descriptions  of  the  tragedies  of  the  sea. 

THE  KHAKI  BOYS  AT  THE  FRONT 

or  Shoulder  to  Shoulder  in  the  Trenches 

The  Khaki  Boys  reach  France,  and,  after  some  intensive  train- 
ing in  sound  of  the  battle  front,  are  sent  into  the  trenches.  In 
the  raids  across  No-Man's  land,  they  have  numerous  tragic  ad- 
ventures that  show  what  great  work  is  being  performed  by  our 
soldiers.    It  shows  what  makes  heroes. 

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New  York 


THE  KHAKI  GIRLS  SERIES 


By   EDNA   BROOKS 


i2tno.    Cloth.    Illustrated..  Jacket  in  full  colors. 
Price  pQr  volume,  SO  canie,  postpaid. 


When  Uncle  Sam  sent  forth  the  ringing 
call,  "I  need  you!"  it  was  not  alone  his 
strong  young  sons  who  responded.  All  over 
the  United  States  capable  American  girls 
stood  ready  to  offer  their  services  to  their 
country.  How  two  young  girls  donned  the 
khaki  and  made  good  in  the  Motor  Corps, 
an  organiastion.  for  women  developed  by 
the  Great  War,  forms  a  series  of  stories  of 
signal  novelty  and  vivid  interest  and  action. 


THE  KHAKI  GIRLS  OF  THE  MOTOR  CORPS 

or  Finding  Their  Place  in  the  Big  War 

Joan  Mason,  an  enthusiastic  motor  girl,  and  Valerie  Warde,  a 
society  debutante,  meet  at  an  automobile  show.  Next  day  they 
go  together  to  the  Motor  Corps  headquarters  and  in  due  time  are 
accepted  and  become  members  of  the  Corps,  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States.  The  two  girl  drivers  find  motoring  for 
Uncle  Sam  a  most  exciting  business.  Incidentally  they  are 
instrumental  in  rendering  valuable  service  to  the  United 
States  government  by  discovering  and  running  down  a  secret 
organization  of  its  enemies. 

THE    KHAKI  GIRLS  BEHIND  THE  LINES 

or  Driving  with  the  Ambulance  Corps 

As  a  result  of  their  splendid  work  in  the  Motor  Corps,  the 
Khaki  Girls  receive  the  honor  of  an  opportunity  to  drive  with  the 
Ambulance  Corps  in  France.  After  a  most  eventful  and  hazar- 
dous crossing  of  the  Atlantic,  they  arrive  in  France  and  are  as- 
signed to  a  station  behind  the  lines.  Constantly  within  range  of 
enemy  shrapnel,  out  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  tearing  over  shell- 
torn  roads  and  dodging  Boche  patrols,  all  go  to  make  up  the  day's 
work,  and  bring  them  many  exciting  adventures. 

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THE  CURLYTOPS  SERIES 


By  HOWARD  R.  GARIS 


author  of  the  famous  "Bedtime  Animal  Stories" 

limo.    Cloth.    Beautifully  Illustrated.    Jacket  in  full  color. 
Price  per  volume,  50  cents,  net 


Splendid  stories  for  the  little  girls  and 
boys,  told  by  one  who  is  a  past  master  in 
the  art  of  entertaining  young  people. 

THE  CURLYTOPS  AT  CHERRY  FARM 

or  Vacation  Days  in  the  Country 

A  tale  of  happy  vacation  days  on  a  farm. 
The  Curlytops  have  many  exciting  adven- 
tures. 


THE  CURLYTOPS  ON   STAR  ISLAND 

or  Camping  out  with  Grandpa 

The  Curlytops  were  delighted  when  grandpa  took  them  to  camp 
on  Star  Island.  There  they  had  great  fun  an-d  also  helped  to 
solve  a  real  mystery. 

THE  CURLYTOPS  SNOWED  IN 

or  Grand  Fun  with  Skates  and  Sleds 

Winter  was  a  jolly  time  for  the  Curlytops,  with  their  skates 
and  sleds,  but  when  later  they  were  snowed  in  they  found  many 
new  ways  to  enjoy  themselves. 

THE  CURLYTOPS  AT  UNCLE  FRANK'S  RANCH 

or  Little  Folks  on  Pony  Back 

Out  West  on  their  uncle's  ranch  they  have  a  wonderful  time 
among  the  cowboys  and  on  pony  back. 

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THE    BASEBALL    JOE    SERIES 

By    LESTER    CHADWICK 
l2mo.    Illustrated.    Price  per  volume,  7S  cents,  postpaid. 

BASEBALL  JOE  OF  THE  SILVER  STARS 

or  The  Rivals  of  Riverside 
Joe  is  an  everyday  country  boy  who  loves 
to  play  baseball  and  particularly  to  pitch. 

BASEBALL  JOE    ON  THE  SCHOOL  NINE 

or  Pitching  for  the  Blue  Banner 
Joe's  great  ambition  was  to  go  to  boarding 
school  and  play  on  the  school  team. 

BASEBALL  JOE  AT  YALE 

or  Pitching  for  the  College  Championship 

Joe  goes  to  Yale  University.    In  his  second  year  he  becomes  a 
varsity  pitcher  and  pitches  in  several  big  games. 

BASEBALL  JOE  IN  THE  CENTRAL  LEAGUE 

or  Making  Good  as  a  Professional  Pitcher 

In   this  volume   the   scene  of  action   is   shifted  from  Yale 
college  to  a  baseball  league  of  our  central  states. 

BASEBALL  JOE  IN  THE  BIG  LEAGUE 

or  A  Young  Pitcher's  Hardest  Struggles 
From  the   Central   League  Joe  is  drafted  into  the   St.  Louis 
Nationals.     A  corking  baseball  story  all  fans  will  enjoy. 

BASEBALL  JOE  ON  THE  GIANTS 

or  Making  Good  as  a  Twirler  in  the  Metropolis 

How  Joe  was  traded  to  the  Giants  and  became  their  mainstay 
in  the  box  makes  an  interesting  baseball  story. 

BASEBALL  JOE  IN  THE  WORLD  SERIES 

or  Pitclnng  for   the   Championship 

The  rivalry  was  of  course  of  the  keenest,  and  what  Joe  did  to 
win  the  series  is  told  in  a  manner  to  thrill  the  most  jaded  reader. 

BASEBALL  JOE  AROUND  THE  WORLD  (New) 
or  Pitching  on  a  Grand  Tour 

The  Giants  and  the  Ail-Americans  tour  the  world,  playing  in 
many  foreign  countries. 

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THE 
HARRY    HARDING    SERIES 


By  ALFRED  RAYMOND 

12mo.     Cloth.     Handsomely  Illustrated.      Beautiful  jackets 
printed  in  ■colors.     75  Cents  Per  Volume,  Postpaid. 


3* 


HARRY 
HARDING 

MESSENGER.  '4-5' 


ALFRED  RAYMOND 


The  trials  and  triumphs  of  Harry  Harding 
and  Teddy  Burke,  two  wide-awake  boys 
who  make  a  humble  beginning  on  the 
messenger  force  of  a  great  department 
store,  with  the  firm  resolve  to  become  suc- 
cessful business  men,  form  a  series  of 
narratives  calculated  to  please  the  alert, 
progressive  boys  of  today. 


HARRY    HARDING-Messenger  "45" 

When  Harry  Harding  bravely  decided  to  leave  school  in  order 
to  help  his  mother  in  the  fight  against  poverty,  he  took  his  first 
long  step  towards  successful  manhood.  How  Harry  chanced  to 
meet  mischievous,  red-haired  Teddy  Burke  who  preferred  work 
to  school,  how  Teddy  and  Harry  became  messengers  in  Martin 
Brothers'  Department  store  and  what  happened  to  them  there, 
is  a  story  that  never  flags  in  interest. 

HARRY   HARDING'S  YEAR   OF  PROMISE 

After  a  blissful  two  weeks'  vacation,  spent  together,  Harry 
Harding  and  Teddy  Burke  again  take  up  their  work  in  Martin 
Brothers'  store.  Their  "year  of  promise"  brings  them  many 
new  experiences,  pleasant  and  unpleasant,  but  more  determined 
than  ever  to  reach  the  goal  they  have  set  for  themselves,  they 
pass  courageously  and  hopefully  over  the  rough  places,  meeting 
with  many  surprises  and  exciting  incidents  which  advance  them 
far  on  the  road  to  success. 


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The  Saddle  Boys  Series 


!2mo. 


By  CAPTAIN  JAMES  CARSON 
Illustrated.       Price   per   volume,  50   cents,    postpaid. 


All  lads  who  love  life  in  the  open  air  and  a  good  steed, 
will  want  to  peruse  these  books.  Captain  Carson  knows  his 
subject  thoroughly,  and  his  stories  are  as  pleasing  as  they  are 
healthful  and  instructive. 


Saddle  Boys  of  the  Rockies 

or   Lost   on    Thunder   Mountain 
Telling  how  the  lads  started  out  to  solve 
the   mystery  of  a   great   noise   in  the   moun- 
tains— how  they  got  lost— and  of  the  things 
they  discovered. 


The  Saddle  Boys  in  the  Grand 
Canyon 

or  The  Hermit  of  the  Caoe 

A  weird  and  wonderful  story  of  the  Grand 
Canyon  of  the  Colorado,  told  in  a  most  ab- 
sorbing   manner.      The    Saddle    Boys    are    to    the    front    in    a 
manner  to  please  all  young   readers. 

The  Saddle  Boys  on  the  Plains 

or  After  a  Treasure  of  Gold 

in  this  story  the  scene  is  shifted  to  the  great  plains  of  the 
southwest  and  then  to  the  Mexican  border.  There  is  a  stirring 
Struggle   for   gold,   told    as  only    Captain    Carson    can    tell    it, 

The  Saddle  Boys  at  circle  Ranch 

or  In  at  the   Grand  Round-up 

Here  we  have  lively  times  at  the  ranch,  and  likewise  the 
particulars  of  a  grand  round-up  of  cattle  and  encounters  with 
wild  animals  and  also  cattle  thieves.  A  story  that  breathes 
4h§  very   air  of  the   plains. 

The  Saddle  Boys  on  Mexican  Trails 

or  In  the  Hands  of  the  Enemy 

The  scene  is  shifted  in  this  volume  to  Mexico.  The  boys 
go  on  an  important  errand,  and  are  caught  between  the  lines 
of  the  Mexican  soldiers.  They  are  captured  and  for  a  while 
things  look  black  for  them;  but  all  ends  happily. 


CUPPLES  &  LEON  CO.,  Publishers, 


NEW  YORI1 


The  Speedwell  Boys 
Series 

By  ROY  ROCKWOOD 

Author  of  "The  Dave  Dashaway  Series,"  "Great  Marvel  Series,"  etc 
12mo.      Illustrated.      Price  per  volume,  50  cents,   postpaid. 


All  boys  who  love  to  be  on  the  go  will  welcome  the  Speed- 
well  boys.     They  are  clean  cut  and  loyal   lads. 

The  Speedwell  Boys  on  Motor 
Cycles 

or  The  Mystery  of  a  Great  Conflagration 

The  lads  were  poor,  but  they  did  a  rich 
man  a  great  service  and  he  presented  them 
with  their  motor  cycles.  What  a  great  fire 
led  to   is  exceedingly  well  told. 

The  Speedwell  Boys  and  Their 
Racing  Auto 

or  A  Run  for  the  Golden  Cup 

A  tale  of  automobiling  and  of  intense  rivalry  on  the  road. 
There  was  an  endurance  run  and  the  boys  entered  the  contest. 
On  the  run  they  rounded  up  some  men  who  were  wanted  by 
the  law. 

The  Speedwell  Boys  and  Their  Power  Launch 

or  To  the  Reseue  of  the  Castaways 

Here  is  an  unusual  story.  There  was  a  wreck,  and  the  lads, 
fn  their  power  launch,  set  out  to  the  rescue.  A  vivid  picture 
of  a  great  storm  adds  to  the  interest  of  the  tale. 

The  Speedwell  Boys  in  a  Submarine 

or  The  Lost  Treasure  of  Rocky  Cove 

An  old  sailor  knows  of  a  treasure  lost  under  water  because 
of  a  cliff  falling  into  the  sea.  The  boys  get  a  chance  to  go 
out  in  a  submarine  and  they  make  a  hunt  for  the  treasure. 

The  Speedwell  Boys  and  Their  Ice  Racer 

or  The  Perils  of  a  Great  Blizzard 

The  boys  had  an  idea  for  a  new  sort  of  iceboat,  to  be  run 
fay  combined  wind  and  motor  power.  How  they  built  the  craft, 
and  what  fine  times  they  had  on  board  of  it,  is  well  related. 


CUPPLES  &  LEON  CO,,  Publishers, 


NEW  YORK 


The  Dave  Dashaway 


By  ROY  ROCK  WOOD 

Author  of  the  "Speedwell  Boys   Series"   and  the  "Great  Marrel  Series." 
12mo.      Illustrated.      Price   per  volume,   50   cents,    postpaid. 


Never  was  there  a  more  clever  young  aviator  than  Dave 
Dashaway.  All  up-to-date  lads  will  surely  wish  to  read 
about   him. 


Dave  Dashaway  the  Young  Aviator 

or  In  tlte  Clouds  for  Fame  and  Fortune 

This  initial  volume  tells  how  the  hero  ran 
away  from  his  miserly  guardian,  fell  in  with 
a  successful  airm?.n,  and  became  a  young 
aviator  of  note. 

Dave  Dashaway  and  His 
Hydroplane 

or  Daring  Adventures  Over  tlte   Great  Lakes 

Showing  how  Dave  continued  his  career  as  a  birdman  and 
had  many  adventures  over  the  Great  Lakes,  and  how  he 
foiled  the  plans  of  some  Canadian  smugglers. 

Dave  Dashaway  and  His  Giant  Airship 

or  A  Marvellous  1  rip  Across  the  Atlantic 

How  the  giant  airship  was  constructed  and  how  the  daring 
young  aviator  and  his  friends  made  the  hazardous  journey 
through  the  clouds  from  the  new  world  to  the  old,  is  told  in  a 
way  to  hold  the  reader  spellbound. 

Dave  Dashaway  Around  the  World 

or  A    Young   Yankee  Aviator  Among  Many  Nations 

An  absorbing  tale  of  a  great  air  flight  around  the  world, 
of  adventures  in  Alaska,  Siberia  and  elsewhere.  A  true  to 
life  picture  of  what  may  be  accomplished  in  the  near  future. 

Dave  Dashaway:  Air  Champion 

or  Wizard   Work  in  the  Clouds 

Dave  makes  several  daring  trips,  and  then  enters  a  contest 
for  a  big  prize.     An  aviation  tale  thrilling  in  the  extreme. 


CUPPLES  &  LEON  CO.,  Publishers, 


NEW  YORK 


The  Fred  Fenton 
Athletic  Series 

By  ALLEN   CHAPMAN 

Author  of  "The  Tom  Fairfield  Series,"  "The  Boys  of  Pluck  Series"  and 
"The   Darewell   Chums   Series." 

12mo.      Illustrated.       Price    per   volume,   50   cents,    postpaid. 

A  line  of  tales  embracing  school  athletics.     Fred  is  a  true 
type  of  the  American   schoolboy  of  to-day. 


Fred  Fenton  the  Pitcher 

or  The  Rivals  of  Riverport  School 

When  Fred  came  to  Riverport  none  of 
the  school  lads  knew  him,  but  he  speedily 
proved  his  worth  in  the  baseball  box.  A 
true  picture  of  school   baseball. 

Fred  Fenton  in  the  Line 

or  The  Football  Boys  ef  Riverport  School 


When  Fall  came  in  the  thoughts  of  the 
boys  turned  to  football.  Fred  went  in  the  line,  and  again 
proved  his  worth,  making  a  run  that  helped  to  win  a  great 
game. 

Fred  Fenton  on  the  Crew 

or  The  Young  Oarsmen  of  Riverport  School 

In  this  volume  the  scene  is  shifted  to  the  river,  and  Fred 
and  his  chums  show  how  they  can  handle  the  oars.  There  are 
many  other  adventures,  ail  dear  to  the  hearts  of  boys* 

Fred  Fenton  on  the  Track 

or  The  Athletes  of  Riverport  School 

Track  athletics  form  a  subject  of  vast  interest  to  many 
boys,  and  here  is  a  tale  telling  of  great  running  races,  high 
jumping,  and  the  like.  Fred  again  proves  himself  a  hero  in 
the   best  sense  of  that  term. 

Fred  Fenton  :  Marathon  Runner 

er  The   Great  Race   at  Riverport  School 

Fred  is  taking  a  post-graduate  course  at  the  school  when 
the  subject  of  Marathon  running  came  up.  A  race  is  arranged, 
and  Fred  shows  both  his  friends  and  his  enemies  what  he  ean 
do.     An  athletic  story  of  special   merit. 


SUPPLES  &  LEON  CO.,  Publishers, 


NEW  YORK 


Alive,  Patriotic,  Elevating 

BANNER  BOY  SCOUTS  SERIES 


12m6. 


By  GEORGE  A.  WARREN 

Author  of  the  "Revolutionary  Series" 
Illustrated.     Price    per   volume,   75  cents,   postpaid. 


The  Boy  Scouts  movement  has  swept 
over  our  country  like  wildfire,  and  is  en- 
dorsed by  our  greatest  men  and  leading 
educators.  No  author  is  better  qualified  to 
write  such  a  series  as  this  than  Professor 
Warren,  who  has  watched  the  movement 
closely  since  its  inception  in  England  some 
years  ago. 


The  Banner  Boy  scouts 

or  The  Struggle  for  Leadership 
This  initial  volume  tells  how  the  news  of  the  scout  move- 
ment reached  the  boys  and  how  they  determined  to  act  on  it. 
They  organized  the  Fox  Patrol,  and  some  rivals  organized  an- 
other patrol.  More  patrols  were  formed  in  neighboring  towns 
and  a  prize  was  put  up  for  the  patrol  scoring  the  most  points 
in  a  many-sided  contest. 

The  Banner  Boy  scouts  on  a  Tour 

or  The  Mystery  of  Rattlesnake  Mountain 
This  story  begins  with  a  mystery  that  is  most  unusual. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  fun  and  adventure,  camping,  fishing, 
and  swimming,  and  the  young  heroes  more  than  once  prove 
their  worth. 

The  Banner  Boy  Scouts  Afloat 

or  The  Secret  of  Cedar  Island 
Here  is  another  tale  of  life  in  the  open,  of  jolly  times  on 
river  and  lake  and  around  the  camp  fire,  told  by  one  who  has 
camped  out  for  many  years. 

The  Banner  Boy  Scouts  Snowbound  (New) 

or  A  Tour  on  Skates  and  Iceboats 

The  boys  take  a  trip  into  the  mountains,  where  they  are 
caught  in  a  big  snowstorm  and  are  snowbound.  A  series  of 
stirring  adventures  which  will  hold  the  interest  of  every 
reader. 

Send  For  Our  Free  Illustrated  Catalogue 


CUPPLES  &  LEON  CO.,  Publishers, 


NEW  YORK 


